To Build a Nest
by Tsukiko hoshino
Summary: It all started with a request Hatake Sakumo asked of his son, just before he woke up from his premature death. If there were two things Kakashi was known for, it was the lengths he would go for in order to enrich Konohagakure, and honor his father's name.
1. My Father

Well, I ended up getting this up a lot faster than I expected. I was hit with sudden inspiration in the middle of the night, and stayed up to write it until about one in the afternoon the next morning. ( Woo…dedication.)  
This follows from Kakashi's brief reuniting with his father, onto a tangent all of its own. (Cause keeping up with Kishimoto _all _the way would completely drive Tsuki nuts.) Seems like a good place to start…coming back from the dead is usually seen as a rebirth of sorts.

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**To Build A Nest**  
**By: Tsukiko Hoshino**

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Kakashi hadn't been surprised when he walked through the darkness after his battle with pain, nor had he been surprised at the sight of his old man sitting in front of the dim fire half choked by shadows. "It's been a long time." He greeted, with one raised hand, Kakashi could already feel his eyes creasing closed in a familiar smile. When Sakumo turned around to greet him with the same signature smile, Kakashi was once more reminded of two things; One, how much he'd missed that same smile, and two, just how much he'd gained from his father. He knew they had looked alike, but seeing him once again just made the reality hit even harder.

"Certainly has." Sakumo admitted, looking his son over. There was so much to take in. His boy had grown taller, and certainly more handsome, he couldn't help the bitter taste that filled his mouth. 'I should have been there to watch it all.' But, what was done was done. There were more pressing things at hand. "I've been waiting a long time…but to be honest I wouldn't have minded waiting a lot longer, perhaps when you were a wrinkly old man." He suggested, having finished his visual exam. The older Hatake couldn't help but smile, as his son gave a small laugh, and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You know how these things are…People are usually complaining about how late I am for everything, not how early I am." Kakashi mused on an afterthought, his fingers stroked his clothe covered chin thoughtfully. It should have felt strange talking to his long absent father like this, but instead all Kakashi could feel was the familiar but long absent warmth he'd felt as a child; The one that bloomed whenever his father looked at him proudly, or shared some small snippet of manly wisdom.

Sakumo shook his head, his white hair swaying from the action lazily. "Death is the one date you always want to arrive late too…very late." He stated, his elbows resting against his knees. "There's so much I want to say…so much I want o know…I'm sure it's the same for you…" He trailed off into the darkness as Kakashi nodded his head.

"Why don't I start with what happened from where we last left off?" Kakashi suggest, taking a seat across from him. His sharingan eye caught the light of the fire, making it a bright scarlet. His father listened intently, leaning forward as his only child regaled him on how he learned the true value of teamwork the hard way. The loss of Obito and later Rin was poignant for them both, the two youths having taught Kakashi so much in the place of his father struck a cord in Sakumo. The feeling soon changed to pride when he learned his son had reached Anbu at a young age. The thing that topped the cake for him though, was learning just how the Yondaime had died, and what he'd left behind. To seal the Kyuubi in one's own son, it seemed almost extreme, even to him.

Finally, the culmination of Team 7 came into play. "I suppose it would be too much to say, that the reason I was blessed with Minato's son, was sheer coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidences like that, especially when there's more than one at hand. Teaching my Sensei's son, and one of the last Uchiha, the very clan that the boy who gave so much to me came from…" Kakashi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I always saw how they fit in with me…but the one I never understood was Haruno Sakura, how did she fit into the mix?" he wondered.

Sakumo's eyes widened as soon as the name was said. "A girl?" He wondered, his voice rising slightly. Kakashi arched a grey brow, his lazy expression remaining unchanged. "Of course, how many boys do you know named Sakura?" He wondered, amusement clear in his tone. His father simply smiled. Like his son, he did not believe in coincidences, but unlike his son, he knew exactly how Haruno Sakura fit into the mix. With the wave of his hand, he urged his son to continue, they were running out of time, faster and faster.

"I wasn't a very good teacher though, not like you, or Minato." Kakashi stated softly, his eyes lowering to stare into the fire. "I tried to teach Sasuke how dangerous his ambition was…but I failed, and instead I equipped him with a deadly tool. I spent so much time working on him, I failed the other two even more. In the end, it didn't even help, he ran off with Orochimaru, and almost killed Naruto at the valley of the end, even now, he's at large." A soft sigh floated out from beneath the mask.

"Naruto and Sakura both found phenomenal teachers, both much better suited to them then I was…Sakura learned from Tsunade, and Naruto from Jiraiya…there really are no such things as coincidences." Kakashi mused, looking at his father's face once more. "I only wish I had done better." He watched his father's dark lashes lower over hazel colored eyes.

"We don't all get it right the first time around." Sakumo mused, the real meaning behind his words hidden from Kakashi. "I wasn't much of a role model for you the way I left…but I'm…I'm so glad you understand why I choose my teammates over the mission now." He admitted, looking down at his open palms as if they held something of great importance. "I'm sorry I left the way I did….you didn't deserve…and though I can't change what's been done, I hope that's enough."

Kakashi closed his eyes, and shook his head, his silver hair swayed gently with the movement. "We both made our mistakes…It was hard for you after mom died…and then the mission so soon after that didn't help. I was so angry at you when I was young, because I didn't understand, but I do now. The only person I'm angry at is me now." His eyes opened, and lowered shamefully, his fingers picked at the cloth of the mask. "For years I couldn't stand looking like you, or being compared to you…it was like a curse I couldn't escape from." There was a heavy sigh that heaved its way from his chest. "But now I have to wear this mask, because I don't deserve to look like you, not after I hated you so. I said a lot of hurtful things about you."

Sakumo's eyes slid closed, once more into cresents, the first sign that he was smiling. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you don't resent me anymore and you don't have to be ashamed, I never would have been angry at you for feeling like you had to cover your face then. You were just a boy left alone to be ridiculed in your fathers place, by people you didn't understand." He looked up towards the pitch black sky. "But I want to know more about the life you've been living…What lead you here?" He wondered, drawing his eyes towards his son's mismatched gaze once more.

"After Naruto and Sakura went off to learn from their new teachers, I was free to do the usual high class solo missions again. Not much to talk about, they hardly ever change you know. 'Go assassinate so and so.' Or, 'Go retrieve this and that.' You know the ones." Kakashi mused with a shrug.

"So, no ladies in your life then?" Sakumo mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. If Kakashi could only have picked up on his tone, he would have known his father was up to something, but he didn't.

"Nope." Kakashi scratched his cheek sheepishly as his father hummed quietly. He was thankful the old man didn't delve any deeper; unfortunately he dug his teeth into something worse. Much worse.

"You're not into boys, are you Kakashi?" Sakumo wondered, cocking his head to the side. The reaction he got out of Kakashi immediately. Even with the mask on, he could see the faint impression of Kakashi's dropped jaw. As politely as he could, he covered up his chuckles.

Kakashi shook his head roughly. "Of course not!" He could hardly believe his father asked that. "I read Icha Icha." He mumbled quietly.

Sakumo didn't really know what Icha Icha was, but he let it slide for the moment, in favor a placating his son's wounded pride. "I was just wondering….as you were saying?" He motioned for Kakashi to continue with his story.

"Well, just recently, the team was reformed, their all about fifteen and sixteen now." Kakashi stated thoughtfully. "You should see how powerful they are now, especially Sakura! She went from just about nothing, to being; 'If I hit you with my pinky, you'll be out for a week.' In just a few years." He vaguely realized it sounded like he was gushing, but brushed it off. "Tsunade was the right person to teach her." He stated. "And if you could just see Naruto, he looks exactly like Minato…the likeness grows day by day." Kakashi sighed. " I wish I could have seen his dream of becoming Hokage come true." He admitted, rubbing his face tiredly.

Sakumo reached out and grasped his son's shoulder, the small fire beneath his arm doing nothing to inhibit him. "You will." He smiled when Kakashi's head snapped up to look at him in confusion.

"But I'm dead…" The younger Hatake stated, motioning around them.

Sakumo shook his head. "Not quiet…already you're being called back." He ignored the wide eyed look Kakashi sent him. "You never looked into my will, or the clan affairs after I died, did you?" He questioned gently, only to be rewarded with a confirmation.

"No, I was…I was too angry, and when that feeling faded away, I was too ashamed." Kakashi admitted, his shoulders slumping.

Sakumo smiled in their trademark fashion. "When you wake up, do so…Konoha needs you and the Hatake clan. You don't have to be ashamed anymore." He announced lovingly. "The next time I see you, you'd better be old, wrinkly, and have lots of stories about your wife and children to tell me." He stated, drawing to his full height. "That's really my only wish you know; for you to live a nice long full life."

Kakashi was on his feet, fumbling for something to say. "W-wait!" It wasn't like him to be at a loss for words. Everything was happening so fast though.

"You're mothers calling me." Sakumo stated, looking off into the darkness. "And someone important is calling you now too." He stated, walking into the shadows. "Can't you hear her?" His voice echoed back to Kakashi.

"Kakashi!"

Yes. He could hear her now. She sounded so far away, it was hard for him to recognize the voice. She sounded so scared and alone. "Sakura!" He realized, his head snapping up. He was sprinting through the darkness now. Kakashi chased after her fleeing voice until its echo faded away, leaving him lost and looking around in confusion. "Sakura…" And then her voice was there again-

"Kakashi -Sensei!" The voice repeated, more upset then the last time. This time it was accompanied by hot blazing pain through his chest. Like electricity. He realized numbly. The darkness was turning white, just like the pain...And then for a while there was nothing.

The next time the pain hit him, he was up gasping like a fish out of water. It felt like all the nerves in his body had come alive at the same time, burning in unison. When his mind cleared enough, he noticed that he was missing his hitai-ate, in its place however, where white bandages. It made him cringe, when it reminded him of Danzo sporting a similar look.

With a start, Sakura was stumbling out of the chair she'd been dozing in and out of in. "You're awake." She sounded alarmed, as she rummaged through her med pack, before pulling out a vial and a syringe. Kakashi had no idea what she injected him with, but within moments, the raging pain became a dull ache at the back of his mind.

"What's the situation?" Kakashi asked weekly, taking in her own exhausted experience. She was covered in bruises and scrapes, and looked like she could use a few days of solid sleep. Vaguely, he felt the same to be true for himself.

Sakura's fists clenched the cloth of her medic's skirt, her eyes down casted. "You already know you defeated one of the Pain's, and the other went after Tsunade-shishou, fortunately Naruto arrived just in time to stop him….It didn't do much good, She's slipped into a coma." Those words came out as a whisper. "I don't really know what happened after that, but Naruto said he talked with the person in control of the Pain's before he died." She explained, hating the way her arms were trembling. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around him. 'Tsunade-shishou might as well be dead…and Kakashi-sensei might have been right along with her.' She bit her bottom lip roughly. "You need to rest…"

Kakashi shook his head. "How bad was the village hit?" He questioned, he had to know, if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to shut his eyes.

Sakura half wished they could talk about anything but this, it was enough to live through It and have to deal with it from the moment she woke up, to beyond the time she went to sleep."Almost all of the buildings have been destroyed." She sighed. "The ones that haven't are housing the injured, everything else is tent based."

Kakashi's shoulders slumped slightly. "And the casualties?" He watched her expression.

"We don't know yet, most of them were revived, but there were ones who didn't make it do to extenuating circumstances.." Sakura pressed a hand against her forehead. She felt so tired. It was all so much, even for her…She was trained by Tsunade in a time of relative peace, and then out of nowhere It was a though there was no rest in sight. Just thinking about her mentor made her heart ache. It was like losing a mother. Sakura licked her dry lips slowly, a thought coming to mind. "Here." She held out a half full canteen to him.

Kakashi nodded his head and took it gratefully, taking a few long sips, before handing it back. He waited until she set it aside to grab her hand. "I'm no good at this sort of thing…" He trailed off, focusing on the ugly bruise that permeated his unclothed arm. 'Must have removed most of my clothes, to deal with all the injuries.' He noted 'that or because they were drenched in blood and grime.' Kakashi offered her a small smile from behind his mask. "But She'd be proud of you…I'm proud of you." He admitted, looking up at her face. "A lot of lesser people would be falling apart after everything they've seen. But you're still standing, a little worse for wear, but still standing." Kakashi reaffirmed.

For a moment, Sakura offered him a weak smile. "Thanks, you're just saying that because I brought you back from the dead." She joked half heartedly. By the time he'd been brought in from the battle ground, his heart had been well on its way to stopping from chakra exhaustion.

"Naw, I'm saying that because you _could_kill me." Kakashi quipped back, relaxing into the makeshift bed. It was more like a blanket on top of a table, but to him it felt like a five star mattress.

"There's something else you should know…" Sakura trailed off, there was a nervous edge to her voice, and she hated not being able to hide it.

Kakashi looked up at her questioningly. "Oh?" He watched as the pink haired girl dropped into the seat she'd been occupying before.

"Tsunade-shishou is in a coma." She began, looking out the window. Sakura knew this had already been said. "And the Fire daimyo and the council have decided not to wait for her to wake up. They've named Danzo as Hokage." The bitter hint in her voice did not go unnoticed.

"I'm not surprised." Kakashi admitted rubbing his forehead. Not that he approved of the choice. Danzo was going to rule with an Iron fist, he would never accept the help of ally villages, making things even tougher for the people of Konoha.

Sakura shook her head. "There's more." She sated quietly, there was no point in telling him, that his own name had come up for the title of Hokage. "He's made Sasuke a missing nin, to be killed when ever possible." She had turned away, and was peering through the windows curtains. "He attacked Kumogakure."

Kakashi let out a sigh, his fingers running through his hair. "I see. Did the Jonin all vote Danzo in?" He highly doubted it. He wished there was something he could say to comfort her about Sasuke, but he was never good with things like that.

"No." Sakura admitted, glancing back at him. "They have voted yet… and when they do, it won't be him." She paused, flashing him a small smile. "I'll bet you no doubt."

For his part, Kakashi managed to look surprised. "Oho? I had no idea I was so popular." Well, make that was pushing it. He watched her roll her eyes at his comment.

"You'd make a good Hokage, and you know it." Sakura waved a hand at him. "Despite the fact you'd probably read porn all through the important meetings." She was rewarded with his trademark smile.

"That reminds me…where _is _my book?" Kakashi wondered looking around the room. Sakura opened a drawer, and pulled out a slightly worse for wear forest green book. She smiled at him sheepishly. "Go a little beat up." Kakashi's eye watered slightly. "My poor baby." He cradled the book, ignoring the way his companion rolled her eyes.

"You should get some rest." Sakura mused, glancing at her watch. "You've been asleep for the past three days, so you Chakra should almost be up to its regular levels. You came in pretty banged up though, so I'd say stay in bed for at least one more night. The last thing we need is you collapsing again."

Normally, Kakashi would have argued, but the exhausted gaunt look on her face put a halt to it. For once, he would stay put, no matter how much the room reminded him of a hospital. "Alright….shouldn't you rest too?" He arched a brow.

Sakura shook her head, pulling her medic pouch off the floor and clipping It to her waist. "I was sleeping before you woke up. Besides, you're going to want to eat soon no doubt… and it won't take long for me to do a quick look around the hospital before I go scrounge up some rations."

Kakashi nodded his head, draping an arm over his eyes. "Alright." Tomorrow when he was cleared to leave, he'd make sure she got some proper rest. Right now, the raging pain he'd felt from first waking up seemed o be coming back.

"I'm really glad you made it." Sakura stated quietly, she was half out the door.

Kakashi felt his lips pull into a smile, as if on their own accord. "Me too." He stated simply.

Sakura let out a sigh, as she shut the door behind her. She looked up and down the busy hall, watching as nurses and medics attended to the needy. There were other patients to visit, not only that but she had to see what progression was being made outside. No matter how tired she was, there was no time to stop and rest.

Though Nagato had revived those who he had killed, it didn't stop fallen buildings, or untreated injuries from finishing the job. Sakura sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time today. 'I want to check in on Tsunade-shishou before I go tell the others the good news.' She thought, opening the door that was a little further down the hall from Kakashi's. There were Anbu posted outside of it, but the paid her no mind as she slipped past them, shutting the door behind her.

Sakura knelt by Tsunade's bed side, sparing the sleeping Shizune a small smile. Just like her the Hokage's assistant was exhausted. "I wonder if you would be proud of me too...?" She murmured, brushing a few strands of honey colored hair out of her mentors face. It was hard seeing the woman who taught her so much like this, but Sakura steeled herself. Tsunade wouldn't want her to become a bawling child after she'd invested so much time into her.

Even though she'd posed a question, she was not surprised there was no answer. Sakura sighed and pressed her forehead against the crisp white sheets of Tsunade's bed. 'There's so much more I wanted to learn from you…So much I wanted to say….' Sakura was beginning to see just why It was so important to live without regrets. Being embarrassed because of something you said, or did lasted for a few moments, months at the worst. But regrets could last forever. 'I never got the chance to tell you just how much you've done for me.' She mused. This woman, no matter how callous she had been at times, was more of a mother then her own had been to her.

She wasn't bothered by death or gore, as a medic you had to be prepared for that sort of thing. It was the scale of it all that shook her. Not knowing how much more she could do before she gave out, not knowing if the people she loved were getting adequate care. Although she hadn't seen much battle this time around, it was a painful lesson in life for her, one that she would never forget. Sakura got to her feet, and pressed her lips against Tsunade's mark less forehead briefly, making her way out of the room to check on a few more patients.

Sakura had no idea, how she would have copped if she lost both Tsunade and Kakashi. Though he hadn't taught her as much as the hokage; Kakashi had a special place. He was more than just a teacher, he was a friend. She rubbed the back of her neck idly. 'Enigmatic and infuriating, but still a friend...' For the life of her, Sakura would never understand the reasoning for reading porn in public.

When she'd finished her rounds through the makeshift hospital, Sakura made her way out side, glancing up at the dusk colored sky.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, waving his arm energetically. He was in a much better mood now, than he'd been the day before. Sakura was thankful for that. "Hmm…?" She wondered, tilting her head to the side as she studied him thoughtfully.

"Is Kaka-sensei up yet?" The whiskered boy wondered, looking back towards the hospital.

"He was up for a little while, but I told him to rest until tomorrow. He's free to leave then." Sakura mused, walking along the dirt covered path, on her way towards one of the relief tents set up for rations. Naruto hummed and followed after. "I guess you told him about Sasuke then." He stated quietly, earning a nod from his companion.

Sakura chatted idly, with one of the relief workers, grabbing two Ceram wrapped foam trays. "Here." She handed over to nature. "You can carry that one to the hospital for Kakashi." She stated, unwrapping hers and tossing the clear plastic into a trash bin.

Naruto looked at her thoughtfully; watching as she gracefully ate her meal and walked. "Hey…What's you're father like?" He wondered, thinking back to his conversation with the Yondaime. Naruto had never asked about her parents before, he couldn't even remember seeing them. 'I'm pretty sure I would remember seeing a clan with pink hair running around.' He mused.

"My father…?" Sakura trailed off, stopping in her tracks. "He died when I was little…" She stated. It'd been a long time since she'd thought about the vibrant haired man. The near mention of him sent her mother into fits.

"Ah, sorry for bringing it up!" Naruto waved his hands in front of his face in a placating manner. He wasn't sure if he should be worried about her pummeling him, or sobbing. But Sakura did neither, instead she smiled at him, and took a seat on a battered old bench.

"Its fine…is just been a long time since anyone asked me about him." Sakura leaned her head into the palm of her hand. For though for a moment, looking for the words she wanted. "My father, was a someone to be proud of." She stated, sitting up straight. "He was the type of person who looked at this village like it was his family." Her eyes slid shut. "I won't forget the words he said to me, before he left for his last mission. I'd just told him, that I wanted to be a ninja like him…and he smiled at me, and said; "No, I know you'll be a better one."

Naruto smiled, remembering his own father's words. "Why did you want to know?" Sakura wondered, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Because I saw my father…I wondered if they were all like that." Naruto stated, looking towards the sky, a serene look encompassing his face. "Anno…I definitely think Sakura-chan is making her father proud."

Sakura heaved a sigh. "I hope so. My mother certainly isn't." She stated, finishing her food, and tossing it into a waste bin.

"She's not?" Naruto frowned at her. It suddenly hit him, just how little he knew about Sakura.

Sakura shook her head, and raised her arms above her head in a stretched. "My mother can hardly stand the sight of me…After my father died; she wanted me to put aside my ambitions of being a Ninja. Obviously I refused, and when I took Tsunade's apprenticeship…well things went further south from there." She flashed him a small smile, when she took notice of his uncomfortable disposition. "Being teammates, is also about sharing your pain with others, right?" She wondered, hoping to make him feel comfortable.

Briefly, It occurred to Sakura, that she hadn't checked up on her mother's own status. 'she might be a bad mother….but I'm an even worse daughter.' She thought guilty, as soon as she got a free moment she'd have to rectify that.

"Yea…I just wish I had asked these things about Sakura sooner." Naruto mumbled. "I went three years without knowing anything about her family." He shuffled outside the makeshift hospitals steps guiltily, until she grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the building after her.

"I wouldn't have told anyone back then, even if they asked." Sakura admitted. Until now, the subject of her family had been a sore subject for her. In the academy, she often pretended that her family was the average type, a housewife mother and a workaholic father who liked to nag their only child. It let her ignore the reality. "Besides…You and the others are my family now." She stated, flashing him a smile. Sakura meant every last word, she even considered that idiot Sai as family.

There was a moment of silence that forced Sakura to look back at Naruto. They were standing just outside of Kakashi's door now. "Y-you mean that?" Naruto wondered, his eyes wide. He had always considered hem his family, but knowing that she did too, struck his heart in the most wonderful of ways.

Sakura smiled and nodded her head. "Yea." With that, she opened the door and shooed the boy in.

Kakashi was laying down, having woken up when he heard their familiar voices. He couldn't help the smile that had dominated his face. It seemed as though the members of team seven only seemed to grow closer with time. 'With the exception of one member….' He thought. There were so many what ifs; what if Sasuke had never left? What if he'd been a better teacher…but then, if things hadn't of worked out the way they had, they would not be the people they were now.

"Hey." Kakashi greeted the blonde, setting his book down. "I see you come bearing gifts."

Naruto arched a brow. "If you mean stuff that tastes likes cardboard…then yea, I come baring gifts." He handed the Styrofoam over.

"Not everything can taste as awesome as Raman." Kakashi joked, studying him for a moment. " I heard a little bit about what you did…I can't tell you how proud I am." He stated, his eyes creasing closed into a smile. "I'd tell you I was amazed, but I would be lying. I knew you could do it."

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…you know…" He was at a loss for words; he didn't take his eyes off Kakashi however, watching the man unwrap the meal. 'Maybe I'll get a glimpse.' He leaned forward watching the older man like a hawk.

Kakashi grinned underneath his mask. His father had said he didn't need to feel ashamed anymore…and though he took those words to heart, the amusement he gained from the flimsy cloth made it all worth while. "O…oi!" He pointed towards the window. "W-what is that?" He was an incredibly good actor, because as soon as he'd said it, both the occupants of the room looked out the window.

"I didn't see anything…" Naruto turned back to face his teacher. "H-hey!" He cried in outrage, noticing the empty plate.

"Oh?" Kakashi wondered innocently. "I thought I saw a dinosaur." (1)

Sakura covered her laughter at that, moments like these made all the weariness melt away.

"Those are extinct Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto fumed at being tricked again. 'Damnit!'

Kakashi tipped his head, looking thoughtful. "So they are…I must be delusion then. …" He drawled in an authoritive tone. "What do you suggest for people who suffer from illusions?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side, a devious look striking her pale green eyes. "I suggest a series of painful injections, in a_ very_ tender place. Shall we get you started on treatment?" she wondered innocently, looking at her nails.

Kakashi laughed nervously waving his hands dismissively. "No no, that's quiet all right." He leaned back on the pillows behind him. "So what are Sai and Yamato up too?" he wondered.

"Yamato-tachiou is working on reconstructing the important buildings." Sakura mused. "The hospital is up, but it needs to be outfitted before anyone can be moved in, hence why we're in a comandered appartment building...and your laying on some poor families kitchen table. "

Naruto leaned back in his chair. " I haven't seen Sai in a few days." He admitted. "I think Danzo is keeping him for something or another…I think he'll be back soon though."

Kakashi nodded his head thoughtfully, all things aside; he knew that although the battle with pain was over, Konohagakure was no out of the woods. 'Tomorrow I'll see for myself how things are going.' He glanced at Sakura. "Did Choji and his father make it?"

The pale pink haired girl nodded her head. "Thanks to you and Tsunade-shishou." For Kakashi, it was a relief to hear that.

Naruto looked out the window, his eyes a darker shade of blue then before. "Do you think things will ever be the same?"

Sakura didn't have to inquire what he meant. Instead she raised her chin resolutely, and looked out the window as well. The last rays of sunlight were disappearing behind the Hokage's carved faces. "No, they'll be better. Maybe not right away…but things will be better than they were before." Somehow she just knew it.

Kakashi tilted his head momentarily, before his eyes slid shut into a smile. "I agree." He'd been listening to the nurses speak of the welcome home Naruto had received from every one almost all day.

Naruto's eyes softened and melted back into their dodger blue shade. "Yea…" If they believed, then so would he.

"Besides, you're going to be Hokage someday….If you don't think things are okay, you'll find a way to fix them." Sakura announced surely, casting Naruto a brilliant smile. "I believe in you."

For the first time, Kakashi noticed just how much she had grown. She wasn't a child anymore, and at this moment she didn't even seem like a teenager. She was like an adult; Beautiful, vibrant and sure. If he didn't know any better, he'd say his heart had skipped a beat. He glanced away quickly, pushing the thought aside. In an instant, his father's requests came back to him. Thankfully most of Konohagakure's important documents were kept underground. That includes the housing for bank goods, such as money and safety deposit boxes. 'Just another thing to add to my to do list.' He mused.

Kakashi resigned himself to the fact that life was going to be pretty hectic for quite a while longer. Sakura glanced at the two boys in the room with her, before smiling. "I've got to go check on some things. I'll see you tomorrow morning Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi waved a hand at her. "You two don't need to call me that anymore…we're comrades now." He corrected Sakura as she made her way out the door.

"I know, I just like to bother you." Sakura teased. "Bye Naruto." She gave him a short wave, before shutting the door behind her.

Naruto waited for a few moments, before turning to Kakashi. "Hey…did you know Sakura's father was dead?" He wondered, it would make him feel even worse, if he was the only one who didn't know about Sakura's domestic affairs.

"That would explain why I've never seen him around…but I don't really run in the civilian circles." Kakashi admitted. There weren't many Haruno's to begin with, but it was a pretty large village. He'd always assumed her parents were civilians.

Naruto shook his head. "He was a ninja." Naruto corrected. "She said she doesn't get along well with her mother either." He stated quietly. It hurt him to think that maybe, all this time, Sakura had been lonely too. Kakashi frowned, and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder comfortingly. "It's just, I wonder if all this time Sakura-chan has been hurting more than just because of Sasuke…and I never even noticed." The blonde explained.

"Mm." Kakashi heaved a sigh. It seemed Sakura had pulled one over on them after all, even he, a master of looking at the underneath never thought anything of the silence she kept regarding her home life. "We can only tend to the things we're aware of." He smiled. "Besides…we're her family now too, right?" She'd said so herself. "And it's a family's job to pry into the lives of their loved ones. If something's wrong, We'll find it." He patted the boys shoulder.

Naruto grinned slowly. "Yea, but you get to take the blame, if she gets mad about it." He shuddered, at the memory of Sakura's rock pulverizing power. "Since it was you're idea and all!" He didn't wait for a response, instead he tore out of the room, shouting a good bye as he went.

"I think I was just tricked." Kakashi stated with a sigh, draping an arm over his eyes melodramatically. If only the poor Jonin knew what was lying nestled for him in that safety deposit box bearing his fathers name.

* * *

Time for an A.N! The title of this story is a reference to two things. 1, the rebuilding of Konoha, and 2, the ritualistic building of a nest some male birds go through in order to attract a mate. Although Kakashi is more dog like then birdlike, I liked the title, so yeaa. And yes this is Loosely based on my one shot Itawaru.

(1) This is like the funniest thing I've ever seen…I watched it like five times in a row *laughs* I totally had to hint at it! Just delete the spaces: http: // www . youtube . com/ watch?v=WitFf06hJBs&feature=related

A note on why Tsuki doesn't think Kakasaku is as farfetched as some people think: In just about every story you read, people make a big fuss about the 14yrs older, and he was her teacher thing. Not to say there wont be a little bit of grappling with the issue, but it will not be taking center focus

So i decided to point this out...in Japan the society is much different, if you've ever read Card Captor Sakura, You'll notice that one of Kinomoto Sakura's class mates is engaged to their 20 something teacher o.o and I think their only in elementary school!  
Then, there's also the fact that they're ninja's...in that kind of life, i don't think anyone cares who you marry, or having sex with, as long as you pop out some gifted baby ninja's.

More importantly, at a time like this, where Konoha has taken a major blow, one concern will probably trying to build their ranks.

That's not saying that it's ever going to happen, BUT it's not all that strange either.

Long first chaper, ne?


	2. Learning Is A Life Long Process

Tsuki likes to write in 6,000 word increments. (And if you're wondering, I do occasion slip and speak in third person in real life.) At moment, I'm sick for the second time in a row. I'd just gotten better for a few days, and then it hit me even worse. So basically, I sleep for three quarters of the day, wake up in the middle of the night and write a bit. (It's a bit depressing really O.o )

This is a longer chapter then before, sorry about that...You'll be surprised at the twist in the end I think. *winks* I'm bad, I know.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, why would I be writing this? *Arches a mysterious brow*

* * *

**To Build a Nest  
****By: Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

As a Shinobi, it was important to be able to calculate both what the enemies, and your allies were going to do. That meant getting to know their mannerisms and quirks. One of the things Kakashi had come to know about Sakura, was that she was never late. Not unless something important was keeping her. 'Like say an enemy.' He mused, looking out the grungy window, it was around noon.

'I definitely remember her saying she'd be around early in the morning.' Kakashi scratched the back of his neck, he'd found his clothes sitting on the countertop. They were more torn and worn then he remembered them being when he put them on the day pain attacked. Some nurse had been nice enough to rinse them off after he'd been stripped of them apparently. The only thing they'd left him with was the mask. Kakashi wasn't exactly happy with having to put them back on, they made him look like a Hobo, but there was little choice if he wanted to get out of the hospital with clothes on.

With that thought in mind, Kakashi made his way across the floor, and opened the door that led into the hallway. It was no secret that he didn't like hospitals, and normally he would have high tailed it out of there, but when he'd listened to Naruto's thoughts the other night, and Sakura had failed to be her punctual self, he'd become anxious. Kakashi figured the best way to see if something was wrong, with minimum effort, was to wait for her to show up, after all she wasn't the type to play hooky.

He'd obviously been wrong. So here he was now, waiting around for an uncharacteristically late Sakura. "Anno…?" He poked his head around the corner, gaining the attention of a nurse.

"Ah, Hatake-san…" The nurse twittered, looking over his form appraisingly, her eyes raked over the mask for a few seconds eagerly. It was just another reason to keep wearing it. "Was there something you needed?" She wondered sweetly. 'Like a sponge bath!' The nurse squealed mentally.

Kakashi smiled politely. "Actually, I was wondering if Sakura came in today." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She was supposed to release me early this morning, and it's about afternoon now."

The nurse eyed him thoughtfully; Kakashi's hate for hospitals was almost as legendary as his moniker, which was saying a lot. 'But if he really wanted to leave, he'd be gone.' There really wasn't anyone at the makeshift hospital with the skills to stop him. The nurse bit her thumb thoughtfully before answering him. "Sakura-san didn't come in today. We weren't surprised though, she'd been running herself ragged since the Invasion." She explained, waving her hand dismissively, before taking a clipboard that was hanging haphazardly from a nail outside his door into her hands. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner." She mused, flipping through the papers attached to the clipboard

Kakashi nodded his head, it didn't surprise him, Sakura was the type to push herself to the very end when she felt like she was needed. He'd check in on her later to make sure she was resting well.

"Well, You're file _does_say you were due to be released this morning." The nurse mused, her head snapping up when she heard the familiar "Poof." Of a well trained Ninja leaving the premises. "Hmph!" she pouted, stomping her heeled foot in annoyance, her fists resting against her hips. "Didn't even wait for me to finish." She mumbled to herself, before continuing with her abandoned work.

Kakashi sighed happily, it didn't matter how shoddy it was, a hospital was a hospital to him. His lone eye roved over the damaged streets of Konoha. 'It's been cleaned up considerably.' He noted, but there was a long way to go. From his vantage point, He could see that the Hospital and Academy had already been rebuilt. 'Looks like Yamato's being kept busy.' Kakashi grinned slowly. The poor guy was probably exhausted.

Thinking of buildings seemed to bring him back to his senses, because suddenly, Kakashi found himself standing still in the middle of the street, as his eye began to widen. His apartment building, filled with priceless Icha Icha merchandise…and Ukki-san! Was it standing? He could already feel the urge to go sprinting down the street in the direction of his home. Instead, Kakashi took a deep breath, and continued his slow pace. 'One thing at a time….' He mused. 'Besides, the long walk will let me prepare for the worst mentally.' He didn't know what he'd do if his books were destroyed.

Surprisingly enough, his substandard apartment building was still standing, albeit with a few more cracks in its exterior. Kakashi heaved a huge sigh of relief, and thanked whatever gods he could name off the top of his head before making his way up the rickety old steps. He would be more than happy to strip off his grimy, torn clothes and take a nice long bath. After that he'd go to the second part of his plan, and finish looking around the village to see what was up with his own eyes. With that in mind, he fished around in his pocket, before pulling out a keychain with a familiar looking dog trinket hanging off the end. His father had it made after the first time Kakashi had succeeded in summoning Pakkun for the first time. It was one of the very few things he'd kept from his childhood after Sakumo's death.

Kakashi hummed, and unlocked the door, before stepping inside to look around his apartment. His analytical eye studied the room intently, looking for anything out of place. "Everything seems to be about righ-"His eye widened in horror. "U-ukki-san!"

The poor plant had most definitely seen better days, its stem bent over limply as if on its knees grasping for life. A few of its leaves had been shed over Kakashi's absence. The ones that still remained trembled pathetically as if wheezing. The fern was a pitiful sight indeed.

Kakashi clenched fistfuls of silvery white hair in terror as he looked around furiously. "W-wait right there!" He pointed to the fern as if it would grow legs and stumble out of his humble abode. "Tch!" Kakashi looked around the living room, before sprinting into the kitchen to fill a glass of water. He sighed in relief, that after having poured the water of the plant, it had perked up a bit. "That seemed like a close one." He mused, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry about that." He patted the top of the plant affectionately.

"I excel at many things, gardening; not one of them." Kakashi noted dryly, watching as the plant seemed to sway with agreement. With Ukki-san's crisis averted, he made his way into the bathroom and peeled off his forehead protector. He placed the apparel on the sink's edge, and grabbed his tooth brush out of its holder. "It's good to be home." He mused out loud; going three days without brushing ones teeth was unpleasant at best. Kakashi tugged his mask down and began brushing his teeth after applying the tooth paste to the utensil.

With his free hand, he reached out and flicked the portable radio that was perched on the back of the toilet to life. "_Kamikaze from the hundredth floor, swan dived to the street, he couldn't handle this mad house anymore! Dog, dog, dog eat dog_…" The Radio belted some song out loudly. (1)

Kakashi bobbed his head to the music thoughtfully as he continued purging his mouth of bacteria. He didn't mind coming back from missions covered in blood, sweat and dirt, but it drove him nuts when he had to go days without brushing his teeth. The radio continued its mantra of music as Kakashi finished his normal sanitation routine.

Within the hour, the Jonin was freshly showered and dressed much to his own relief. With that phase of his plan complete, he headed out the apartment door, pausing to lock it back up. Just because one was a Shinobi, was no excuse to let home security slip.

It wasn't long after he'd ventured out of his humble hovel, that he began running into familiar faces. "Kakashi-sensei!" Akimichi Choji called, waving his hand leisurely as he made his way towards the slouching man.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted, standing a little straighter when the teenager reached his side.

Choji smiled at the older man. "I heard from Naruto you were getting out of the hospital today…I wanted to…you know, thank you." He explained, looking off to the side.

Kakashi was half afraid the boy was going to cry. It was hard enough for him to deal with the tears of women, men tears were twice as awkward for him. So instead he smiled and patted Choji on the back, hoping to put a stop to any of that. "Wasn't any trouble at all…Aw who am I kidding? You and your dad owe me dinner." He stated.

"Of course…well, whenever any of the restraints get back up." Choji shuddered, though he wasn't picky when it came to food, the rations were awful.

Kakashi nodded his head, as if sensing the thought that ran through his head. "Hey, have you seen Sakura?" He arched a brow. "She played hooky from the hospital today."

"Uh-uh." Choji shook his head. "I was actually just on my way to eat lunch…but I can point you in the direction of her tent." He mused, pointing towards the east. "It's close by Hokage tower."

Kakashi nodded his head. "Thanks for the info!" He called, walking down the street, raising his hand in farewell without looking back. Thankfully, the Hokage tower was right along with the rest of his tour, so he wasn't going far out of his way. He could hear Choji bidding him farewell in the distance.

The next person Kakashi ran into was Nara Shikaku. Though, it wasn't so much running into him, as it was sneaking up on him. "So….I heard from a certain someone, that a certain someone _else_put in my name for hokage." Kakashi drawled, from behind the man.

Shikaku barely spared him a glance, as he continued barking orders at a bunch of over worked Shinobi. "Why would a person do something like that?" He wondered, only his words alluding to the joke.

"Beats me." Kakashi responded, flipping open his book.

"I can see why you didn't gain the position though." Shikaku stated, giving him a sideways glance. The comment was soon followed by a smirk. "Sometimes I think you could rival me and that boy of mine in laziness."

Kakashi gave a snort at that. "On that, I think you have me beat." He admitted easily. "In anycase, you're probably the most informed…care to give me a run down?" He requested, taking a seat on the large platform of ruble the older Nara was laying on.

Shikaku nodded his head, waving his hand at the Ninja's. "Go take a break!" He snapped, before turning back to Kakashi. "If I didn't think Danzo was up to something before, I definitely do now…did you notice the peculiar absence of both him, and his cronies during Pain's invasion?" He wondered quiet enough that Kakashi had to strain to hear him.

"I hadn't thought about it, at the time, I was too busy fighting for my life." Kakashi admitted, his nose still buried in his book. Though on the outside, he seemed completely uninterested, Shikaku's words already had the clogs in his mind whirling and clicking away. "He probably figured that by withholding his own forces, Tsunade-sama would get herself killed protecting the village, and at the last minute, he'd unleash them, and take over the title of Hokage for himself."

"More than likely that's true…but what else is he up too?" Shikaku hissed quietly. "This village should not be entrusted to a person like him."

Kakashi nodded knowingly. Though he was sure, that though Danzo's methods were less than honorable, and his character was unsavory, he knew that in his own misguided way he wanted to see the village prosper. 'But the road to hell is paved with good intentions.' He thought. Danzo had to be watched closely, and if necessary, over thrown. "What do you plan to do? The Daimyo himself choose him." He pointed out, turning a page idly.

"You know as well as I do, how much pull the jonin vote has." Shikaku pointed out. "However, I decided not to call them right away…I thought it would be best to ask you, our prime candidate first."

Kakashi sighed and shut his book, turning his head to look Shikaku in the eyes. "I think we should wait and see if we can get a better sense as to what he's up too. If we over take him, we may lose the support of the fire Daimyo. I don't think that's a wise move to make with the state of things." His eye slid shut for a moment. It was not best to continue on with this sort of conversation. If Danzo had someone watching them, it could cause trouble in the future.

"I agree." Shikaku nodded, crossing his arms as he stood up. "I'll leave it to you, to decide when." He stated, tilting his head slightly. "You didn't do a half bad job on those two." He commented, waving his hand slightly. "They didn't turn out like their Sensei at all."

Kakashi snickered from behind his mask. "I'm not the one to thank for that. Tsunade and Jiraiya are." He corrected.

"Mm." Shikaku responded. "If you see Sakura, be sure to give her my thanks, Shikamaru's leg is back to normal. I got sidetracked before I could thank her myself."

"Of course, speaking of which, have you seen her today?." Kakashi got to his feet. "And how are repairs going?" He questioned, looking around, the Ninja Shikaku had dismissed earlier, had been working on relaying a buildings foundation.

Shikaku cupped his chin thoughtfully. "I think I _might_have seen a flash of pink hair in the town square very early this morning, but other than that, but when I called, she didn't respond; so other than that, no." he looked in the direction that Kakashi was gazing. "Well enough…We're going to need more lumber soon though, and Yamato is working on repairing housing now that the hospital and academy are up. He's going to have to take a break eventually though."

Kakashi nodded his head. "Is Danzo working to procure supplies?"

Shikaku shrugged. "I have no idea what that man is up to." He admitted. "_That's_ what has me so worried." With that said, he began ordering the workers that had been lazing around back to work. The man was lazy that much was true, but he was one hell of a slave driver when it came to other people.

"Hm…" Kakashi sighed a bit, before slipping the book into his pouch. It seemed like they were already headed back into the storm, this time however it would be a civil dispute. "Anything you need me to do?" He arched brow, more than likely, if the Hokage wasn't designating who was to be doing what during the recovery, it was Shikaku and his boy.

Shikaku shook his head. "For right now, take a day to get whatever you need to for yourself done. Tomorrow come back and see me, if you haven't been summoned by the Hokage that is."

"Will do." Kakashi wasn't one to argue with a day off. "Any specific time?" He smiled, his eye sliding closed. It wasn't like he'd arrive on time.

Shikaku rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Time doesn't mean a damned thing to you…now get out of my sight." He shooed the man off.

"Okay, okay…no need for foul language." Kakashi pouted, before vacating the area. The next thing on his list was finding Sakura. He tried her tent, which was easy to find by asking a few of her neighbors, she wasn't there, which left him with one other choice, if he wanted to do things the easy way, and he did. That left him down to Summoning Pakkun. With that in mind, he reached into his pouch, and cut his finger, using the blood to perform the familiar Jutsu.

Pakkun looked up at him as the smoke cleared, before yawning, showing rather pointy teeth. "What's it this time?" He wondered, cocking his head to the side.

Kakashi smiled pleasantly. "Just a small favor, you'll be done in no time. I need you to pinpoint Sakura's location." He explained.

"She in trouble?" Pakkun wondered. What was important to Kakashi, was important to him.

If dogs could frown, Kakashi was sure Pakkun would have a nice big fat one on his face. "Not to my knowledge." He stated shaking his head and watching as Pakkun sniffed the air, before taking off after a trail.

It didn't take them long to find the pink haired girl, she was curled up against a large weeping willow, the long vine leaves effectively hiding her from anyone who would pass by without much of a glance. Not that anyone would, they were out in the middle of the forest. Sakura was sound asleep, because she didn't make any motion of hearing, or seeing them.

"Thanks for the help." Kakashi glanced down at Pakkun.

Pakkun nodded his head. "She changed her shampoo…this one smells even better." He mused.

Kakashi grinned. "Is that so? I'll find out what it is, and buy you some." He stated, watching as the summon disappeared in a puff of smoke. He was slightly surprised they hadn't woken Sakura up. They'd made no attempt to be quiet. With a sigh, he crept up besides her and shook her shoulders gently.

Sakura hissed loudly, her eyes snapping open. "W-what?" She rubbed the back of her neck, it felt sore from the position she'd been sleeping in.

"You slept here last night, instead of your tent?" Kakashi frowned, she'd sounded like she was in pain.

Sakura sighed, and rubbed her left arm. "Mm…I was so tired last night I couldn't make it back to my te-oh! What time is it?" Her eyes were wide as she looked over at him.

"Mm…I'd say about four or five in the evening." Kakashi mused, pushing her hand aside to look at her arm. "Where'd you get that?" He pointed to the bruise on her arm. It was more like a series of three or four small circular bruises, with the addition of small crescent lesions. His eye narrowed sharply.

Sakura looked at the bruise. "Ah…I must have been too tired to heal it last night." She mused, placing a hand over it and allowing her Chakra to erase it.

Kakashi frowned even more. "Well? You're mom doesn't you know…hit you, does she?" He questioned quietly, waving his hand in a circular fashion. If that had been going on for years without him noticing, he would have to commit seppuku.

"W-what!?" Sakura looked at him as if he'd grown another head. "No, no, oh god _no_!" She shook her head furiously. "She didn't hit me, but we did get into it last night, and she threw me out of her apartment." She admitted. "But I smashed her coffee table, so it's a fair trade I suppose." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What made you assume it was my mother who did it?"

He'd been caught, there was no way he would have learned about her home life just after she'd told Naruto the first time. Sakura was smart, and she wouldn't fall for any of his half assed lies. 'Damn.' Kakashi sighed, He'd slipped up. "Ah, well you caught me…or rather Naruto. He did spill the beans…but try not to be to mad…He was worried about you." He reminded her.

Sakura sighed, and leaned her head against the tree behind her. "That idiot…" There was no malice behind it though. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised though."

Kakashi smiled. "Well…as I said to Naruto, after you told him we were your family…it's a family's job to pry into one another's lives." The color of Sakura's eyes looked sea green underneath the shade of the tree. Quickly, he realized that it wasn't normal behavior to be musing about a student's eye color the way he was. He shook his head and chased the thought away.

"I suppose so." Sakura sighed, her eyes looking off to the side. 'As long as Naruto doesn't run off telling everyone, I suppose it's okay like this.'

"So….what was the fight about?" Kakashi arched a brow.

Sakura drew her knees up to her chest, a clear look of disdain on her face. "Does it matter? With the two of us, it's always something stupid…" She hated the forlorn hint at the end of her words. How much longer would it be, before the pain of her dysfunctional relationship with her mother eradicated completely? She hopped it was soon.

"If it's important to you…it's important to me." Kakashi quoted the words of someone from his past, sitting by her side, his back pressed against the large tree's trunk.

Sakura glanced at him, a small smile blooming on her lips. "You're usually not this open...You tend to avoid people's emotional problems like the plague." She mused, her eyes studying his face. 'He seems a little different now.' She thought, unable to place the change.

Kakashi smiled, patting her head. "You'd better take advantage of it then." He stated. "But you know…if there's ever a problem you can come to me."

"I'm glad to hear that…I have a money problem, lend me some Ryo." Sakura joked, holding her hand out as if to receive the requested funds.

Kakashi called her bluff. "See… I'd like to lend you that Ryo but, ah…I don't have any money in these pants." He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe next time?" he offered.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're so tight fisted…shouldn't you be like rich?" She arched a brow. "What, with all those high ranking missions and what not."

"Mm, well between those and my clans left over money, I suppose I do have a pretty hefty sum…but there's nothing wrong with being frugal." Kakashi scratched his masked cheek.

Sakura snorted at that, and mumbled something about tight fisted. She was quickly punished, when Kakashi pinched her side teasingly. "What?" She looked at him innocently, batting her lashes. Sakura was the epitome of cute and innocent at the moment.

Kakashi quickly glanced away. He'd already caught himself thinking about her eye color, there was no need to start thinking about her cuteness. "You were saying about your mother?" He prompted her.

"Ah…" Sakura leaned her head back against the tree, with a soft _thunk. _"I went to make sure she was okay last night…I should have done it earlier, but being as how whenever we see one another, its awkward at best, and at the worst we're at one another's throats…I guess In the end i just wanted to put it off as long as possible. She accused me of not caring whether she lived or died, and I said the same thing to her." Her eyes opened up slowly, Sakura didn't want to mention the guilt she felt for having waited so long.

"The only time I ever see her, is when I go and find her, since I moved out on my own three years ago it's been like that. I come by, tell her I'm leaving for a mission, she scoffs at me, and tells me to leave." Sakura huffed slightly, crossing her arms. "Well it was like that even when team seven was formed the first time…but at least then she didn't throw me out. When I get back from missions, I do the same thing, drop by just to let her know her only child isn't dead…and nothing." She bit her bottom lip at this.

Kakashi studied her with his heavy lidded eye. 'She really is different from that Genin who fawned all over Sasuke….No, she wasn't the Genin I thought she was back then either.' He mused. The Sakura that he'd thought he'd known back then didn't have problems beyond convincing Sasuke to go out with her, or getting Naruto to shut up. She worried about her hair, and whether she was going to chip a nail, not whether her cared if she lived or died.

"I wonder why I bother." Sakura leaned her head against her knees. "It doesn't get me anywhere…and every time I go, it feels like throwing salt on my wounds." But the truth was, she knew exactly why she went. On the inside, there was still a small girl striving for her biological mothers love and approval. It was something Sakura knew she would never get.

Kakashi placed a hand on her head comfortingly, giving it a small pat. "There isn't anything wrong with wanting a parent's love." He reminded her. He didn't know Sakura's mother personally. He couldn't say whether she cared or not, without having the liability of being wrong placed on his shoulders. 'Even though I want to say, that her mother loves and cares about her…I could be wrong, and I don't want to set her up for disappointment.'

People could say whatever they wanted about parental love being inherent, but Kakashi had seen many instances of children killing their parents, and parents doing the same unto their children without remorse. Many times, he had also seen them doing even worse things to them.

"I guess not." Sakura admitted with a soft smile, clapping her hands suddenly. "Well, enough about me! How was your first day out and about, Post pain?" she wondered, withdrawing her legs from her chest.

Kakashi shrugged. "Ah, ran into a few people here and there…talked with Nara Shikaku." He would leave the topic of what that conversation up to her decisive mind.

"Ah." Sakura stated, looking at him thoughtfully. "You know…what you said to me…The reverse is true for you too you know." She stated quietly.

Kakashi 's brow furrowed. "Hm? What I said….?" He trailed off for elaboration. Sakura was beginning to look a bit embarrassed.

Sakura sighed in annoyance. "You know…if there's ever a problem….you can come to me too." She stated finally, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"Ooooh." Kakashi stated, his eye sliding closed into a smile. "I see, I see…I'll remember that." He paused, peering beyond the tree's long sweeping branches. "You've been asleep all day, so you must be hungry." He pointed out. "And I haven't eaten at all today, so let's go." He got to his feet, and pulled Sakura onto her own effortlessly.

"Alright." Sakura looked at him in amusement, suddenly she was feeling better then she had in days. Quickly following after him, they walked side by side down the streets of a battered Konoha.

Kakashi's plans to go to the bank were put on hold for another day or two, but that was fine with him. After more than a decade waiting for him to come to his senses, a few days wouldn't hurt.

"Hey…did Naruto tell you, that he talked to his dad?" Sakura wondered, as they stood in line to one to the rations tent.

"Eh?" Kakashi's face said it all. "No he didn't."

Sakura smirked slowly. Payback was a bitch, and her name was Sakura. "He told _me_ he did."

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what that man said to him." He gave a soft laugh. "It was probably something warm and flowery."

"Oi, You talkin' about my old man?" Naruto called from the bench he was sitting on, his mouth half full of some indiscernible mush.

Kakashi smiled, his eye sliding shut in its trademark manner. "Indeed I am."

"Them be fighting words." Naruto joked, abandoning his tasteless meal to bound up to them.

Sakura smiled in amusement, before swiftly putting him in a choke hold. "Oi, I never said it was okay to run around telling people about…ya know." She huffed.

"Ah, Sakura, I'm sorry, I only told Kakashi, dattebayo!" Naruto cried, his arms waving furiously. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, when she abruptly released him. "I was worried ya know." He shuffled from foot to foot. "You said we were family and all…"

Sakura's eyes softened at his manner. "Yea…and we are family." She stated simply. "Just don't go broadcasting what I told you to everyone, okay?"

Naruto nodded his head energetically, a full blown grin in place. "Right, anyways, tomorrow, lets meet at the training grounds in the afternoon for lunch…I'll bring instant ramen!"

At this point, anything was better than the provided rations. "Alright." Sakura sighed. "Why aren't you eating that ramen now though?" She blinked.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I have to save it up for important things, until I can stock up on some more…I at least want to have a bowl a day, dattebayo…but because we're family, I'll share." He grinned again as he whispered. "Just don't tell anyone, I don't want to be mugged for it."

Sakura sweat dropped, as Kakashi handed her a Styrofoam tray. "Only you would think someone would mug you for Ramen."

"With the way this stuff tastes, it wouldn't surprise me if they did." Kakashi mused, as they sat down. He'd stripped the plastic covering off his food and was poking it with his chopsticks.

Sakura's sweat drop grew at that. "On second thought, you might be right." It almost looked as though the food was alive and getting ready to slither away. "What about you Kakashi-Sens…." She stopped short when he gave her a very plain, 'What did I say about that?' Look. "Okay, okay, Sheesh." She held her hands up defensively.

"Mm…I'm supposed to go back to Shikaku, and see if theres anything he needs me to do tomorrow…but I'll try and stop by." Kakashi mused. "What time?"

"Around 11?" Naruto suggested. "Knowing you though, that'll be around one." He snickered, as Kakashi slumped forward.

"I remember when you guys used to look at me in awe." Kakashi said miserably. "Whatever happened?"

Sakura smirked. "You read porn in front of us." She watched the man slump even further. "Not to worry, we still look at you in awe." She smiled sweetly. "Awe of how ridiculous you are."

Kakashi looked at her bleakly. "You're cruel." He was beginning to like their playful ribbing.

"Cruel to be kind." Sakura responded cheekily, as she attempted to down her meal. It was as nasty as ever, so the task was difficult.

"Ah, it's nice to see everyone together." Yamato called from behind Naruto. He looked like he could use a lot of sleep.

Kakashi smiled. "You look awful." There was no point in sugar coating it.

"If Kakashi-senpai says it, then it must be true." Yamato sweat dropped, and he slid into the seat next to Naruto, who immediately, scooted away. "Is there something wrong?" The wood Jutsu use asked, his face turning to look at Naruto. Whatever the look was that he gave the boy, it caused Naruto to sweat bullets.

"Ehehe…no." Naruto waved his hands nervously. "Er…we're meeting up at the usual training grounds tomorrow, at around 11ish. If you see Sai, tell him, kay? bye!" The blonde called as he jumped up from him seat. "Bye Sakura-chan!" He waved, before high tailing it out of there.

Sakura hid her laughter behind her hand. "You shouldn't keep scaring him like that." For the life of her, she didn't know why it freaked the boy out so much. She always thought it made Yamato look like a monkey. (2)

Yamato smiled. "Probably not, but you have to admit, it's funny…though if I keep doing it, he'll probably get used to it." He mused, rubbing his chin.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "You could always tell him Ichiraku's been shut down permanently."

"Ah, that's far too cruel; don't you think Kakashi-sempei? The poor boy would never get out of bed." Yamato joked, chewing on a piece of his rubber like food.

"Hey forehead!" A familiar blonde called from a few tables over.

Sakura blinked and looked up. "Ino…" She looked back to her companions. "I gotta go, see you two tomorrow." She bid, getting up from her seat and tossing away her trash.

Kakashi tugged his mask down as soon as he was sure the girl was gone and not lurking about. Ino's table was a good ways away, and there were plenty of people to provide coverage. With that in mind, he struggled to down his food. "So how are things going?" He wondered, glancing at Yamato.

"Exhausting." Yamato sighed. "The buildings that are being remade manually, are running out of supplies, and even though I'm capable of rebuilding many of them, it would take me months, if not a year to get everyone re-housed properly."

Kakashi nodded his head. It seemed like no one wanted to request anything of Danzo. 'I'm somehow, not surprised.' He mused; the bandaged man was off putting. "I think I'll try and get an audience with our Hokage tomorrow." He stated, waving his hand lazily. "Might give us some insight as to what's up."

Yamato sighed. "Good luck with that."

"I'll need it." Kakashi stated forlornly. No doubt Danzo would harbor some small grudge for his nomination.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, parting ways, and giving their farewells when they left the tent.

Kakashi soon caught sight of a familiar pink haired girl walking alone ahead of him. "Yo." He called quietly, catching her attention. "You always walk alone at night?" He wondered, half joking.

Sakura smiled slowly. "Yep."

Kakashi tutted slightly, "Well I suppose it's alright, when you can split people's skulls with the flick of a finger." He mused. "I forgot to tell you earlier, but Shikamaru's father said thanks for the work on his son's leg."

"Tell him it was my pleasure when you see him tomorrow." Sakura yawned. "Isn't your apartment in the other direction?" She arched a brow when she realized he was following her.

Kakashi smiled at her. "Ladies shouldn't walk alone at night, even if they can split the ground."

"If you say so." Sakura found herself smiling back at him softly. The rest of the trip went in quiet harmony.

"Anno, did you're mothers place survive the attack?" Kakashi wondered, looking at her tent thoughtfully. He really didn't like the thought of her staying in the flimsy thing for a prolonged time. There were tons of other tents around that were probably full of unsavory people.

Sakura nodded, as she pushed the flap open, and ducked inside. It was about the size for four people or so to lay side by side with a foot in-between each of them and the walls. "It did, why?"

Kakashi took that as an okay to enter and looked around. Apparently not much of Sakura's things had survived the attack, from what he could see. There were a few bags of what he assumed to be clothes, a few boxes and a sleeping bag."Well I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be staying in a tent for such a long time." He mused, poking through a box.

"Hey!" Sakura slapped his hands away in admonishment. "Nosey, nosey." She tsked, wagging a finger at him teasingly. "Even though I don't want to stay in a tent any longer then I have to, I wouldn't go live with that women, if it was labeled as an S-class mission." She huffed.

Kakashi hummed slightly. "Naruto's apartment made it…you could stay there."

"Ew!" Sakura cried a look of horror on her face. "Have you seen his apartment? There are roaches! No thank you."

Well, that really only left poor Kakashi with one choice. He wouldn't rest well knowing she was out sleeping in some tent, while he was in a nice comfy bed. "You can stay with me until there's a better option available then." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Eh?" Sakura looked up at him, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "I'm sorry, I think I just heard you invite me to stay with you." She shook her head.

Kakashi chuckled from behind his mask. "I did, and no is not an option."

Sakura blinked up at him slowly. "Really?"

"Yes." Kakashi responded, arching a brow. "Is that shocking that I can be so nice?"

"No, I guess not." Sakura smiled at him slowly. "Just unexpected…and since you said no is not an option, I won't bother arguing…But I will find a way to earn my keep." She warned him.

Kakashi grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He mused.

Sakura waved a hand at him tiredly. "Why don't I begin staying over tomorrow? It's really late, and I don't feel like bothering with the hassle of moving. You'll also have time to clean up any man messes, like dirty underwear and the like." She joked, the incident with Naruto still fresh in her mind. (3)

"Deal." Kakashi stated. His apartment was relatively clean, but it wouldn't hurt to look around for those so called man messes.

"Alright then." Sakura nodded her head. Even if it might be weird living with him, anything was better than a tent, with the exception on Naruto's place. "I really appreciate this, you know." She murmured.

Kakashi nodded his head. "Well, I suppose after all those years if tricking you into paying for my meals, and being perpetually late, it's the least I could do." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Now that you mention those things, you're right." Sakura muttered, giving him a sly look. "You also forgot to mention all the other things you did…making us wash you're dogs, organize you're books, sharpen your Kunai." The list could go on for miles.

Kakashi pouted underneath his mask. "Those were training exercises…" He didn't miss the roll of her eyes. "No respect." He sighed miserably.

"We're equals now, remember?" Sakura winked at him. "Said so yourself."

Kakashi's words certainly bit him on his ass this time. "Touché." He stated dully.

Sakura smiled, and patted his back. "I do respect you." She admitted. "You're one of the most amazing people I know."

"I bet you say that to everyone." Kakashi teased, as she pushed him out of the tent.

Sakura grinned. "No, because when I say that to other people, I mean it." With that said, she shut the flap in his face. "Have a nice night!" She called from inside the tent.

"Yea." Kakashi wondered why he never noticed just how amusing Sakura could be. 'I suppose it was due spending so much time analyzing the other two.' When Team seven had first been formed, Sakura hadn't shown that much talent, it took another woman to see the promise in her. 'That or it's a recent development.'

Kakashi didn't speculate that perhaps a change was on the horizon, one beyond politics and ego wars. But there was. For now though, whatever was lying in wait for him at the bank, kept its secrets.

* * *

Songs Tsuki listened to while writing this chapter:  
T.N.T: By Ac/Dc  
Dog Eat Dog: By Ted Nugent. (1) this is the song that came on when I was writing that scene…it seemed to fit so well, I had to add it in.  
Is This Love: By Survivor

(2) Whenever Yamato makes his scary face, it makes me think of a monkey. *Coughs* I wonder if anyone else sees it too?

(3) http:// www. you tube . com/watch?v=8ZFssrS4Q6M& feature=related:This is the memory Sakura is thinking of is this just in case you're lost. XD Pfft…Naruto's kissy face is scary even to me, and I love the boy!

Whew, I feel like I'm about to throw up *sheepish look* I'm really happy with all the support everyone has given me so far *bows* Thank you very much everyone!

There are two review's I'd like to thank specifically!

Calm Serene, and Sam! While I love every review, some just give me nosebleeds of joy. ( Joking XD no nosebleeds.) These two reviews were really well thought out.

I don't know if you're still reading Sam, but if you are, since you didn't sign the review, I could contact you with a reply. But I really wanted to, so I posted it on my deviant art account, If you're interested in what I said back, here's the link: http://tsukiko hoshino. deviantart. com /journal/

I suggest everyone read the response to this review…you might get hints as to where the story is going, and you'll also get some insight.

Kakashi WAS supposed to go to the bank in this chapter…but then as I was writing, I got a few more ideas on what's going to happen…so his trip had to be put off. But oh god *Evil grin* I am gonna throw some twists at this. I think you guys are going to be thinking, OMG? Is this woman pulling a Kishimoto!? My head is whirling! *Swirly eyed*

Devious?

Indeed.

-With love, Tsuki. 3


	3. Drums Of Discord

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be writing my crappy fan fiction.

* * *

**To Build A Nest**  
**By: Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

Contrary to popular relief, Kakashi was an early riser, thankfully that didn't mean that he had to be punctual by any means; as proved by his habitual tardiness. It was early morning, the sun just having peaked over the horizon, and he was wandering around his living room, naked all except for the towel wrapped around his waist. He was making sure to move any dirty laundry into the rarely used hamper. Until today, he'd had no idea he even owned one; as it turned out they were quiet useful.

Kakashi was just thankful, he was a more organized then Naruto, otherwise he'd need days to get his place clean.

"Hmm..." He scratched his scalp with his index finger thoughtfully. In one of those rare moments he was unmasked. If anyone saw him, they would have known there was a very good reason why when people saw his face, they all stopped to stare. Kakashi was indeed a pretty boy, despite the hazards of being a Shinobi, there was only one scar that marred his face, and it was the one everyone was familiar with. The rest of it was blemish free and graced with a nose that despite being broken numerous times, was straight and smooth.

The thing that caught the attention of most women though, were his lips. He had cupids smile, with full lips that couldn't quickly turn from innocent, to sultry, and outright mischievous. Kakashi could count the number of people who had seen him truly angry without a mask on with one hand, as for the ones that lived through the ordeal, even less was needed. He'd been told however, it was one the most terrifying thing; it was something Kakashi did not doubt when it came from hardened shinobi like him.

His smile however, was the most seen. Those lucky enough to see him when he really grinned had a full view of perfectly white and straight teeth, the only thing out of the ordinary about them, were the irregular points of his canine teeth. Kakashi supposed that it had something to do with his family's affiliation to ninken. Even his father's moniker had screamed the association to the dogs, _'The white fang of Konoha'_. Kakashi had followed his father in that fashion, in a more toned down way. When he reached Anbu he had produced his mask into the image of a hound from hell; Steadfast, loyal, and vicious in his pursuit of prey. It was a sight that in their final moments had his quarry shaking in terror before they dropped like flies.

As a young child, Kakashi had once asked his father if the Hatake were related to the Inuzuka of Konoha. He could dimly remember his father laughing, and shaking his head wildly, saying that long, long ago, the Hatake had existed in another country entirely, and fled to Hi no Kuni, and eventually Konohagakure to escape violent prejudice.

He let out a sigh, and stood up straighter, glancing out his window, as he moved the hamper to rest against a wall. The sun was just rising, tinting the sky a menagerie of colors; it was time to get ready for the day, and head out. As much as Kakashi would like to laze about, there was no time; with his apartment picked up he slipped into his bedroom to get ready for the day.

With in the hour, he was out and headed towards the ever familiar memorial. Kakashi was past due for paying his respects by three days, and today was a perfect day to be outside. It was spring, so the weather wasn't too hot, or to cold. Meaning it was just right for a person who ran around in long sleeved shirts and pants, even when it was sweltering hot outside. "Yo." He greeted the stone, with a raised hand, lowering himself down to crouch in front of it.

It was a familiar sight to him, one that ran bittersweet. It was a reminder of his failures, as well as his accomplishments. Without losing what he had, he never would have progressed into what he was today. Kakashi was thankful, for those lessons, no matter how hard they had been to swallow at the time. Visiting the stone was his way of remembering, and honoring the memory of those that had fallen so that he could get the message.

"Sorry I'm late; you wouldn't believe the week I've had." He joked, launching into a long winded explanation. Although Kakashi would like to believe, that whatever he saw, Obito saw too, it wasn't the same thing as conveying it through voice; besides, if Rin was with Obito, he didn't want the boy exaggerating things. Rin would probably believe anything he said. Kakashi snickered from behind his hand. He could almost see the boy's sheepish expression after being chastised by his crush, before turning an outraged expression towards Kakashi himself.

By the time he was done, the sky was no longer tinged in lavender and rose madder hues. It was powder blue, without a cloud in sight. 'Looks like I was right about the weather.' He mused, shielding his eye with a hand to the forehead; the sun was blazing full force. Kakashi let out a sigh, as his stomach began demanding food. He really hoped the supermarkets would be back up soon or at the very least a restaurant. Even Ichiraku would do, Kakashi wasn't picky at this point.

With his shoulder slumping more then usual at the thought of having to eat another rationed breakfast, Kakashi made his way towards the direction of Sakura's tent. He had to drop off the spare key to his apartment. He didn't have to walk very far, as he caught the tall tale sight of pink hair ducking down to enter one of the rations tents. 'Ah, what luck.' He mused, happy to kill two birds with one stone.

Sakura sighed as she stood at the back of the line, fluffing her hair sleepily. Kakashi deftly crept up behind her. "Sleepy?" He bent down to whisper in her ear quietly. He just couldn't resist the opportunity.

"Gah!" Sakura shrieked slightly, whipping around, her fist narrowly missing his nose. If Kakashi hadn't have jerked back at the last second, he'd be suffering from blunt force trauma, with the equivalent of being ran over by a rhino.

Sakura's eyes were the size of dinner plates. "Are you crazy?" She hissed, her cheeks tinged red from embarrassment. She could almost feel the eyes boring into her back.

Kakashi smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, well now that you mention it, I have been called that before." She had looked absolutely adorable, with her wide-eyed expression. He was definitely crazy. 'Must be the near death experience getting to me.' He thought.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Kakashi chuckled, and scratched his clothe covered cheek mirthfully.

"Next time I might not miss." Sakura warned him, wrinkling her nose in indignation, her feet shuffling forward to grab a tray. 'If I could land one good hit on him, I think I could pretty much die happily.' She mused, a smirk crossing her pale pink lips. The satisfaction of landing one on Copy-nin Kakashi would last a lifetime.

Kakashi nodded his head, before shuddering inwardly. Sakura's fists were meant to be feared. She wasn't called mini-Tsunade for nothing. "I'll keep that in mind." If she ever found out just how scary she could be, even to him, well….he'd probably be seeing said fists a lot more often. 'Is she smirking?' Those made him worry, smirking Sakura always meant trouble.

"So was there a reason you decided to scare a poor innocent girl so early in the morning?" Sakura wondered waiting off to the side as he grabbed his tray.

Kakashi looked at her innocently. "I have to have a reason?" He batted his lashes for effect; it was slightly diminished due to only one visible eye. "I can't just be creepy for no reason?"

"Well, you're always creepy. But in this case you're entirely more malicious then I originally thought." Sakura replied blandly, doing an excellent job of hiding a smile, she looked at him as though he was a pane of glass.

"I don't ever remember saying I was nice…and creepy isn't that a little too strong of a word?" Kakashi stated his expression flipping from thoughtful, to indignant. It was really a feat, considering only a small portion of his face was visible.

Sakura grinned slowly. "No, creepy about describes old men who read porn in public, and sneak up on girls."

"Old?" Kakashi wrinkled his nose under the mask. "I'm only 30." That wasn't old.

Sakura blinked at him innocently, disguising the impish look through thick lashes. "Oh? Well, I always thought you wore the mask to cover the wrinkles around your mouth…" No matter how many years had passed, she still wanted to see what was beneath the mask. Fortunately she was way more subtle about it then Naruto. "That and you're hair is grey." She pointed out, sitting on a bench.

"No wrinkles, I happen to have a blissfully youthful face… " Kakashi corrected her, as he took a seat across from her. Using the word youthful almost made him cringe. It was forever tainted by Maito Gai.

Sakura flashed him a grin. "If you say so...but I'm more likely to believe you, if I see it for myself." She leaned across the table a bit. "You know, Naruto thinks you're hiding a hideously scared visage…I used to think you had massive lips." She didn't bother mentioning what Sasuke had thought. "And Ino seems to think you're ridiculously handsome."

Kakashi smirked underneath the mask. 'One's not far from the truth.' He wasn't being full of himself, honestly. You gave credit where credit was due, in this case, his looks. "I'm glad someone has a vote of confidence in me." He stated sardonically. "If I had massive lips, don't you think the mask would hint at them?" He pointed in the general direction of said physical features.

"Black is sliming." Sakura unwrapped her dismal breakfast, before poking at it. She never took her eyes off him. 'If I do, the chance will be gone.'

Kakashi chuckled, knitting his hands together to rest his chin on top of them. "True, but…" He turned his head to the side and puckered his lips into a pout. It gave Sakura a clear definition of the size of his lips. "As you can see, they're not massive at all."

"What about _giant_ buck teeth?" Sakura smiled at him like a cat that caught the canary. There was no way he could get around that one, without showing her his teeth.

Kakashi shook his head and watched her play with her food. "Nope…normal sized teeth…well I guess they can't be considered that normal, but definitely not beaver teeth." He mused, tilting his head slightly.

That was more than enough to set Sakura's curiosity a blaze. "What's that supposed to mean?" She whined. 'He's probably torturing me like this on purpose.'

"You shouldn't play with your food." Kakashi chastised her, taking the chopsticks from her hand suddenly. "It's bad etiquette." He shoved what he hopped was an edible food product into her mouth before another word could pass.

Sakura gave him a seething look, but decided to let the subject of his face go for now. She took her chopsticks back from him, and began feeding herself. "I heard one of the supermarkets will be back up in two days." She sighed happily at the thought. 'The prices will probably be outrageous though.'

Kakashi nodded his head, and took a sip of his water bottle through his mask. "Good, because I don't think my poor tastes buds can handle this stuff for much longer. He waited until she wasn't looking, before tugging his mask down and taking a bite of his own food. 'Ugh..' He grimaced, quickly turning his head around so she couldn't see his face as he pulled the mask back up.

"Your horrible." Sakura remarked blankly, when she noticed the action. "You act like if someone catches a glimpse of your face you'll ignite into flames and promptly turn to ash…Oh! Maybe you're worried about turning other people to ash." She joked. 'It's nice being able to act like this with him.'

Before, Kakashi had always seemed aloof, hidden behind smiles and a lazy exterior. Something about him seemed different to her now though. 'Maybe it was him almost dying?' That was the only answer Sakura could come up with.

Kakashi smiled. "Maybe I am?"

"If that's the case, you should use that as an attack." Sakura grinned. "Just flash them your face, and Bam; instant win."

Kakashi almost choked on his water. "I don't think anybody's face is quiet that bad…mine certainly isn't."

"I'll have to take your word for it." Sakura pouted, before washing the taste of her breakfast away with a sip of orange juice. It was the only thing that tasted edible.

"I suppose you will." Kakashi made sure to sound like he held great sympathy for her plight. "Anyhow…" He fished around in his flak vest for something. "Here ya go." He handed over the key ring with a small Orange Icha Icha charm attached.

Sakura didn't even bat an eyelash at the dubious charm. What was the point? This was Kakashi after all. "Mm, thanks…I really appreciate this." She smiled at him. "And don't worry, I won't be with you for more than a day or two….Shizune's already got a place procured for her, and Tsunade-shishou whenever she wakes up, she's going to let me crash there. It'll take another day for it to be ready though."

"It's no problem." Kakashi waved a lazy hand at her. "The sofa pulls out, so you can either take that or the bed since it'll only be a night…you know the way to my apartment right?" He arched a brow.

Sakura pressed a finger against her lips thoughtfully. "Mm…you mean that one bedroom hovel you had me and the others clean when we were Genin?"

Oh the things Kakashi had made his poor students do as Genin. Do his grocery shopping, wash his dogs, sharpen his kunai and shuriken, and alphabetize his books, excluding the porn of course. Sakura even remembered having to deliver letters by hand on one occasion. Why the hell Kakashi was even sending letters still eluded her, but after being chased down the street by one of the recipients massive dog, it was something she was unlikely to ever forget.

"It's not that bad." Kakashi complained. So what if it had scuffed up floors and it was kind of small. The crack in the stairs wasn't that dangerous, unless you were coming home drunk off your ass. It gave the building character, something Kakashi appreciated.

"I'm not saying it is." Sakura smiled at him as she stood up. "I just figured with how much of a high-class Shinobi you are, you could afford better." She pressed a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Before the invasion, I had a two bedroom apartment all to myself, with extra cash left over." She didn't need to mention it was because of a few strings Tsunade may or may not have pulled.

Kakashi shrugged. "More to clean…and saving money for a rainy day never hurt." His eye slid closed into a smile. It wasn't a lie, he did have a lot of money, but it there wasn't much he was interested in buying.

"What do you spend all that money o-oh…yea probably porn, huh?" Sakura grinned, and hid a giggle behind her hand. "I forgot who I was talking to for a moment."

Kakashi huffed. "It's not just porn; its art, romance, adventure, and drama all in one." He waved Icha Icha around like it was a majestic relic. 'Not everyone can understand how truly amazing you are.' He sighed and nuzzled the book affectionately.

"Forgive me to failing to see it." Sakura stated in amusement, before patting him on the head. "Thanks again, I'll see you at the training grounds!" She bid farewell with the wave of her hand tossing away her tray with the other before disappearing through the tent flaps. It was time for another grueling shift at the infirmary. Today they were relocating the patients to the permanent hospital.

Kakashi sighed and tugged his mask down, sure it was great for amusement, but sometimes it just got in the way. He finished up his breakfast in quick succession, before tossing his tray out and making his way towards where Shikaku was last seen.

Sure enough, the jonin commander was there, sipping what Kakashi supposed was Sake as he ordered about a bunch of disgruntled Shinobi units.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted, walking his way towards the Nara leisurely.

Shikaku nodded in greeting. "You're earlier than I expected." He admitted.

"Ah well, you know me, I _live_ to surprises the masses." Kakashi smiled, and flipped through his book. "I'm yours to command…so, what'll it be?" He questioned, holding his arms out briefly.

Shikaku promptly responded by holding out a hammer and a pack of nails. "You can go help build." He responded with a lazy smirk. Kakashi was looking at the hammer as though it were something nasty. "You know how to use a hammer right?" He wondered in jest.

"My area of expertise with a hammer, involves killing people with them." Kakashi responded with a smile. "But I'm sure I can manage…" Like hell he needed a hammer, it is easier to just throw the nails into place. Not to mention the boost his pride would take. He took the offered tools, before trudging after his designated group.

Shiranui Genma just happened to be one of the people on his team. It was both a blessing, and a curse, the senbon chewing Jōnin was well known for goofing off, but he always provided amusement. "Hey hey!" the brunette greeted, slinging an arm of Kakashi's shoulder. "It's been a while since we've worked together, how's it been?" He wondered, flashing the silver haired man a winning smile.

"It'd be great if you weren't in my personal space." Kakashi greeted cheerfully. "People are going to start thinking we're dating…and frankly I don't think I've stooped to that level yet."

Genma pouted. "I'm not your type?" He wondered, he was perfectly secure in his sexuality. Everyone who knew him knew his love for the ladies.

"_Three_ hairy legs?" Kakashi asked in disbelief. "Most definitely not." (1)

"I thought we had something special." Genma sighed wistfully, as he slung some lumber over his shoulder.

Kakashi shrugged. "Ah well, you can dream." He smiled lazily, before surveying the area.

Building a house was easy, doing it with ninjutsu, made it easier. What would have taken a citizen days, took them hours. Too bad it was so hot out; he even had to remove his flak vest. The time passed rather quickly though, and lunch time had approached. Kakashi squinted up towards the sun. It was probably an hour past the time Naruto specified. "Hey, I'm going to take off for lunch." He called towards Shikaku. "I'll be back in an hour or so." Provided he didn't have any pressing ninja business.

"Don't make any promises." Shikaku drawled, before returning to nagging a chuunin about the proper way to mix concrete.

"Oi, Kakashi!" Genma called from wherever he was. "Why don't we go out for drinks tonight? It's been a while."

Kakashi shook his head, as he hopped off the half finished building. "Cant, I have a house guest tonight."

Genma's brow furrowed. "House guest?…oh!" He grinned devilishly. "I see, you lucky dog…Whose the lady?" Unfortunately, he was now talking to thin air. "Bastard." The senbon wielding Jōnin huffed. 'I really wanted to know too…'

The training ground was alive with noise, which was to be expected considering its inhabitants. Kakashi looked on in amusement, as Sakura shook Naruto viciously, as Sai laid a few feet away bleeding out the nose.

"What'd they do this time?" He wondered, glancing besides him where Yamato was sitting.

Yamato looked up from eating his cup ramen, before clearing his throat. "Ah well, I think Sai called her flat chested, and Naruto semi-agreed by saying her chest looked fine flat." It really all blended together.

Kakashi sighed. "Mm, those two really don't think before they speak when it comes to women." Well that really just pertained to Naruto. Sai was like a lost little puppy in that respect.

"Ka-kakashi!" Naruto cried in relief as Sakura dropped him to the ground, scowl still present on her face.

So what if her breasts weren't as gigantic as Ino's or even Tsunade's. 'They're not that flat...' Sakura thought miserably. She was at least a B-cup. The shirt didn't show off said assets very well that was all. It probably didn't help that they were generally bound down to make it easier for her to maneuver in battle.

"Yo." Kakashi waved briefly, taking the spare ramen cup offered by Yamato. "You really should consider reading a book on how to talk to women." Kakashi mused, glancing at the Jinchūriki's beat up appearance, then to Sai's. Sakura was walking away to take a seat up against a tree. He could vaguely hear her mumbling to herself.

"I've already tried such methods." Sai stated, sitting up. "It didn't work."

Kakashi smiled wryly. "That's probably because she knew you got it out of a book. When you talk to women, you have to be genuine in what you say….otherwise the end result is the same."

Sai blinked slowly. "I see." There seemed to be a reason why Kakashi was held in such high regard after all.

"This is your entire fault." Naruto huffed, crossing his arms. "You always make her mad, dattebayo." He shot the root soldier a dirty look.

Sai smiled. "Anno, aren't you the one who agreed she was flat chested?"

Kakashi sweated slightly, he could literally smell the storm brewing from where Sakura was sitting. "Actually, I have a question for you Sai." He began in all seriousness. "I'm doubtful you could answer it though…" At that, Sai was all ears.

"This question…would it be about Danzo-sama?" Sai wondered, his black eyes never changing.

"It is." Kakashi nodded his head.

Sai shook his head. "I can't answer then."

Naruto clenched his fist and shook it slightly. "Don't tell me you're on that guy's side, dattebayo!" He seethed.  
"It's not that I don't want to give you the information." Sai shook his head. "It's that I can't." He opened his mouth, showing off the seal. "If I do, I'll be unable to move or speak. This is the way Danzo-sama has kept his secrets."

Sakura frowned from her spot. "That seems a bit extreme…" but it was very smart if there was something you wanted to hide, she couldn't deny that.

"It may not be the most moral thing to do…But it's effective, this way even if we're captured and tortured, nothing can be done." Sai stated, his eyes closing. "A lot of bad things have been done in the name of Konoha, if those things got out, it could be disastrous. It may not seem like it, but Danzo-sama really wants to protect this village."

Kakashi sighed, and flipped his forehead protector up to rub his eyes. "I don't doubt that." He did doubt the man's methods however. With his question answered, he turned to Sakura. "How is Tsunade-sama's condition?" He wondered, watching the pain flit across her face briefly. 'I probably shouldn't have brought that up.' He pursed his lips together.

"She's improved." Sakura stated, lowering her eyes. "But there isn't any indication of…of when she'll wake up." She admitted. Although Tsunade had been strict, there were times where she had been tender too, more so then Sakura's own blood mother. The things Tsunade did had always been for her own good, rather than out of selfishness. She'd understood Sakura's need to prove herself, to excel. It made the pain of being without her, all that much harder.

Kakashi reached out, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be up and demanding Sake before you know it." He smiled.

"Let's hope so." Sakura smiled slightly, thoughts of what if, still weighing in her mind.

Naruto crept foreword slightly. "Hey…Sakura-Chan said she was staying the night at you're place." His eyes narrowed at Kakashi. "Why didn't you tell her to stay at mine?" he wondered quietly, hoping Sakura wouldn't over hear.

Kakashi sweat dropped slightly. "Ah well, I tried, but she said it was too dirty."

"It is not, dattebayo! My apartment is spotless!" Naruto scowled, crossing his arms. "That roach crawled in from outside…"

Kakashi waved his hands in a placating manner. "Of course, of course." His attention was on something else. There were eyes boring into him.

Yamato had noticed the presences too, for his gaze was in the same direction as Kakashi's. "I think their looking for you."

"Seems to be so…I've got to go, I'm being summoned." He got to his feet. Sure enough there were two Anbu members hanging at the edge of the clearing  
Sakura frowned, and caught his pant leg as he walked by. "What's this about?" Naruto was casting him the same curious look.

Kakashi shrugged. "If I knew, I'd tell you." His eyes softened. "Don't worry about it…why don't you three train or something?" He suggested, before following after the Anbu. . "Thanks for the lunch Naruto!" Kakashi could still feel their eyes on his back, as he disappeared.

It looked as though Danzo was finally summoning Kakashi. Already he was sure it would be an unpleasant visit. There was no way that he wasn't bitter about Kakashi's nomination, though he would never show it outwardly. That man coveted the position like it was gold, since before Kakashi was born he'd been scheming to take it.

"You called?" The Jōnin wondered after being shuffled into the room.

Danzo was flanked by two guards as he filled out some paper work meticulously. "I did." He admitted, setting down his brush. "There are a couple matters I would like to discuss with you…I'm sure you already heard of Uchiha Sasuke's updated status."

Kakashi nodded his head. "Of course." While with Tsunade and the other previous hokage's he would have been content to fool around, when it came to Danzo it was another story. The man in front of him was far too militant; any insubordination on Kakashi's part would land him in hot water.

"Then that leaves me with one less thing to explain." Danzo stated, folding his hands in front of him. "I'm here by suspending team Kakashi to Konohagakure, until things with Akatsuki have been settled…a week from now, there is to be a meeting between all the hidden villages and the Daimyo."

Kakashi closed his eye briefly. "I see." Naruto was going to flip.

Danzo studied him carefully. "I'm sure you understand that this is for the best. Please relay that to your subordinates."

"I'll do my best." Kakashi smiled, it was easy to play political games, no matter how much he despised them. "Since I'm here, do you mind me speaking with you of a few things?" Shikaku's words from yesterday were still in his mind.

Danzo shook his head. "Not at all." He was already filling out a new piece of paper.

Kakashi pulled the book out of his pocket. "I was speaking to Nara Shikaku yesterday, and he mentioned that we're running low on supplies to rebuild. He said he's been unable to get a hold of you." He mused, placing a finger against his chin thoughtfully. "I was hoping to relay a status message on those supplies." It was a subtle prodding, but enough.

"The rebuilding is taking more than the daimyo originally thought." Danzo admitted. "We're a bit reluctant to ask him for anymore."

Kakashi didn't look up from his book as he responded. "Why not ask the Kazekage? He is in alliance with us. I'm sure he's already offered. Besides he and his village are in debt to us." He pointed out as if Danzo didn't know. 'He really is a mistrustful coot.'

Danzo frowned and leaned back into his chair. "While that may be true, Konoha is still weak, it's best if we don't show others our back while we mend our wounds. You never know where a snake is hiding." He didn't make any mention of Kakashi's insubordination, but the dislike was clear.

"Of course…" Kakashi murmured, shutting his book. "I don't mean to sound belligerent Hokage-sama, but the longer it takes us to get those supplies and rebuild, the longer it will be until we're stable."

Danzo nodded stiffly. "I'll see what I can do."

Just as Danzo was about to dismiss Kakashi, a rather frazzled chuunin rushed into the room. His face was as pale as a sheet, with his breath coming in fast pants. "A-anno, I'm sorry for disrupting, but this is an emergency!" His voice was pitched in panic.

"What is it?" Danzo was on his feet pretty fast for such an old man.

The hairs on the back of Kakashi's neck were bristling. Something bad was on the horizon of this conversation.

"Th-the Daimyo's been assassinated!" The chuunin cried, waving the paper in his hand frantically. "There was arson at the palace, there were only four survivors…the Daimyo's nephew, his wife, a servant and one of the Anbu sent to watch over them!"

At this point, even Danzo's face looked pale. "Ho-how…." It made sense considering they hadn't heard anything from the troop sent to watch over the Daimyo in a few days. 'I should have expected something like this.'

Kakashi's scowl was hidden by his mask. "I can bet it has something to do with Madara…What's the rest of it say?" He looked towards the Chuunin expectantly.

"Ah…It says that the nephew was named Daimyo in a private ceremony, and then immediately left to head towards Konohagakure…they should be here any day." The chuunin shifted uncomfortably.

The repercussions of such an act were tremendous. Kakashi was sure Danzo was aware of it. 'We might not just have one war on our hands, but two.' He bit his bottom lip nervously. There was a chance the people of Hi no Kuni would revolt against the new Daimyo, in addition to the war Madara seemed set of instigating. Things weren't looking up so far.

Danzo rubbed his temples. "Send out a team to find out exactly what happened at the palace…and send another to retrieve the new Daimyo. He has to be brought here safely." The risks of a new daimyo were great, but a country without one, were even worse. 'This is becoming troublesome.'

Kakashi coughed slightly. "Perhaps you would like me to join the retrieval team?" If someone was targeting the royal family, then they had to be on guard.

"That will be fine…prepare to leave in two hours...You're team will be waiting for you at the gate this time, don't be late…and wear you're Anbu uniform." Danzo dismissed him with the flick of his hand. Kakashi could definitely be trusted with a mission such as this.

Kakashi left with a puff of smoke. 'Two hours…' Well, Shikaku had said not to make any promises about returning. He'd stop by the bank before he headed to his apartment. 'I might as well kill multiple birds with one stone.' It was just like him to put things off until the last possible moment. So with that he forayed into the bustling building.

It didn't take him long to find an employee, and explain his purpose. After a few questions, and a small amount of paperwork, Kakashi was shuffled into a dank elevator with blinking lights. It reminded him of one of those cheesy horror movies He'd been forced to sit through on a few occasions. He followed the mousy member of staff through the narrow halls until they came to a dead end. 'I'm pretty sure he said his name was Tori…or was it Mori?'

"The number is 0077-1300-98." Tori or Mori stated, using the master key to undo the first lock. He then stepped aside, to allow Kakashi to use his own key. "For your convenience, we have boxes set aside if you'd like to take your belongings with you." He pointed to a table not too far away. I'll be waiting in the elevator." With that said, he trotted away.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back if his neck. Today was…eventful to say the very least. He twisted the key with a flick of the wrist, and opened the container that had remained sealed for quite a few years. Inside were a few old scrolls, and legal documents. They would have to be looked over later. One in particular caught his eye. Its spindles were gold, and the paper bordered a bright vermillion. It was tied shut with silver thread. 'It's strange; I vaguely remember seeing a scroll similar to that before.' It was made of high class materials too.

As much as he wanted to open it, he was pressed for time, so he grabbed a box, and gathered all the contents of the safety deposit container in it. When he got back he'd look through it. Kakashi locked the empty box back up, and grabbed his newly filled burden. He then found his guide, and nodded his head in greeting. The elevators doors slid shut after him as they ascended to the first floor of the building.

The trip home took no time at all, but Kakashi hadn't really paid much attention to it. It'd been at least a few months since he'd been on an Anbu mission, not that he was overly concerned about it. But to this day, the adrenaline that rushed through his veins the first time he'd been on an Anbu mission always returned full force for each one.

"You're back!" Sakura cried, assaulting him as soon as he entered the door. "Looks like I was worried for nothing." She sighed in relief."I thought for sure you'd gotten in trouble with Danzo or something…" she studied him for a moment.

Kakashi shook his head, and set the box on the coffee table. "I wouldn't say you were worried for nothing." He admitted, making his way to his bedroom. He could hear Sakura's muffled voice asking him what he meant as he shut the door behind him. "There's been a bit of a problem…" Anbu missions were supposed to be kept top secret, but in this case Kakashi was sure there was no harm in telling her. He was genuinely touched by her concern.

Sakura was fidgeting just outside his door, he could hear her.

"Sakura, what I'm about to tell you…don't repeat it to anyone." Kakashi warned her as he rummaged around inside his closet. "Promise?"

"I promise." Sakura stated solemnly. 'What could it possibly be? Another invasion?' Her throat seized with fear. They weren't even remotely ready for that. Konoha would be decimated beyond repair.

"The Daimyo's dead." Kakashi stated, his muffled voice fighting its way back to her.

Sakura blanched, and took a seat on the nearest available surface. It just so happened to be the coffee table. "W-what?" she choked the words out somehow.

"The details aren't clear yet, but the message said it was an act of arson on the palace…all but one of the Anbu assigned there died." Kakashi pulled the tight pants over his hips tying them shut before proceeding to pull his sandals on.

"So what are we…you going to do?" She wondered, pressing her fingers against her lips in thought. Sakura knew that the tremors of a murdered monarch could be disastrous. After all, she was almost as smart a Shikamaru, and that was saying something

"The Daimyo's nephew survived and was made daimyo right afterwards in a small ceremony… from there he left for Konohagakure immediately. I'm going to retrieve him with a team." Or at least that was the story. Kakashi finished pulling the white vest on, before grabbing the arm guards. Even after years of use, they were incredibly pristine.

Sakura looked at the door worriedly. "This is an easy mission for you, right?" The worry was clear in her tone.

"Easier than most, Anbu wise." Kakashi's mouth twitched into a smile. "You don't have to worry, I'm coming right back." He stated, pulling the dogs mask over his face, as he shuffled out of his bedroom, the rest of his gear in arm. The long red scarf around his neck trailed after him."They should be close by to Konoha now…they've got another Anbu in their company already." He wasn't used to having to sooth someone's worries.

Sakura was probably the person who he'd ended up comforting the most in his entire life. He was relieved to see her smile at him confidently. "I'll believe you." She stated, getting to her feet.

Kakashi strapped the Katana to his back, before giving her a slight twirl. "Am I as dashing as all the girls say?" He joked from behind the red and white dogs mask.

'I'd say most certainly.' Sakura blushed and looked away. "If you go for guys in masks, then I'd say so." He definitely had a nice body, to fall back on if his face was disappointing. It felt so wrong to be thinking of her former teacher like that.

"Gee, you sure know how to make a guy feel handsome." Kakashi joked, setting a few maps on the coffee table. He had another hour to kill. It was best to plot out the best possible routes they would have taken. With that in mind, he took a seat on the sofa, blinking from behind his mask when Sakura sat next to him.

Sakura smiled slightly, it was weird not being able to see his expression at all. "I figured I could help on this at least."

"Ah." Kakashi's mask bobbed with his head. "Look for the most likely routes they would take to arrive in Konoha without drawing attention as they traveled."

It took Sakura a total of fifteen minutes to look over all three maps, and narrow down three courses. Out of those three they narrowed it down to two. "They're going to keep away from the roads, and come through the brush, to avoid being seen, and provide obstacles to any pursuers." The pink haired girl mused, highlighting the paths in red. "The one I would choose out of those two is this one." She pointed to the one that cut through the mountains. "Although it's easier for them to be seen, it's easier for them to see any pursuers, and they have the advantage of higher ground if they need it."

Kakashi grinned under his mask, as he patted her head. "You always were my favorite."

Sakura looked at him in surprise. "I was?" She'd always thought it was Sasuke…Before his defection that was. Kakashi had spent the most time with him after all. 'Not that I don't see why now.'

"Mmhmm. You were smart, generally level headed, and you didn't go running off to become a missing Nin." Kakashi responded, laughing slightly. "It helped that you always put Naruto in his place before his mouth ran too far ahead of him."

Sakura smiled fondly. "Not that it helped much…nothing short of bribing him with Ramen could keep that mouth shut." Her words held no bite towards the blonde's attitude, only tender devotion. Naruto was like Sakura's brother. Sometimes he ranged from being the bratty little brother, and other times he was the protective devoted elder brother. Someday she hoped he could abandon his crush and see her the same way.

"Isn't that the truth?" Kakashi rose to his feet. "I've got to be heading out now…don't forget to lock up before you go to sleep." He reminded her. "Just because you're a shinobi, doesn't mean you can stop being worried about home security." He could easily see her eyes rolling.

"Of course." Sakura's eyes lowered, before she threw her arms around his middle in a quick hug. "Don't get yourself killed or anything….or I'll burn Icha Icha." She mumbled into the white armor.

Kakashi blinked, his tense stance quickly melting. "Of course." He patted her back affectionately. "I'll be back before you know it." With her, the words came out easily. In his relationship with others, Kakashi wasn't exactly known for being touchy feely. But for some reason when it came to Sakura, the words just seemed to spill forth. 'I should see someone about that.' He mused dryly as he pulled away, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura sighed, her cheeks tinted pink. 'Ugh, he probably thinks I'm some over emotional girl, just like when I was a Genin.' That was the last thing she needed. Sakura moaned in annoyance, a hand running down her face in shame. What was wrong with her these days?

As promised, Kakashi's team was stationed right by the gate. His eyes roved over the masks, hoping to pick out a familiar face; which he did. 'Yamato.' He nodded his head in greeting, before beginning to discuss the information he had.

It felt like it was going to be a long night. In the series of many more to come.

* * *

Naruto: Oi! Minna-chan, Today is Tsuki-chan's birthday! So don't forget to leave her plenty of nice reviews or I'll definitely punish you, Dattebayo!  
Sakura: Hai! *Flexes her fist* After all, Tsuki-chan was nice enough to write and post a chapter on her special day!  
Kakashi: She's also got another one close to completion, so….  
Yamato: Don't be a drag. *Flashes the scary face*  
Sai: *reading from a note card* Or we'll…Hold the next chapter hostage.  
Naruto: It's a promise, Dattebayo!

Tsuki: *Sneezes into her sleeve in the background, as she prepares blows the candles on her cake out* Whew…is someone talking about me? *Blinks sporadically*

* * *

Holy hell, there's a Kakashi bento box! *Jaw drops* ( Delete spaces as usual.) : http :/ /phreshp . wordpress. com/2005/12/x !kakashi-bento. jpg

Wow this ended up being a long chapter. It was also really rushed…I had a lot of trouble writing it originally, but once I got passed my block, the words seemed to flow. I really hope that there aren't too many things happening in this chapter at once *Sweats* But remember, I did say I would leave you guys reeling *winks*

Kakashi finally gets the scroll, unfortunately he's too busy to take a peak in it this chapter. Not to worry, by the end of next chapter, he will have. It's going to be an explosion! *Waves arms*

(1) the third leg, in case you're wondering is between a man's legs. *Tried to keep a straight face*

indeed the naked kakashi at the begining of the chapter was fanservice. ( and a way to practice writing discriptions...)

Songs for this chapter:  
Rebel son by Survivor (Kakashi!)  
T.N.T by AC/DC ( Naruto fits this song so well…)

P.S: Wah…I want to thank everyone so far *sparkles, as tears gather in her eyes* you've all been so nice in your reviews…I wonder, how does everyone think I'm doing keeping everyone in character? That's really very important to me.

Also, my rep to your second review is on deviant art again Sam XD I'd answer here, but it's always so long.

http:/ /tsukiko hoshino. deviantart. com/ journal/


	4. Political Games

Warning: this chapter involves a lot of political B.s-ing-scratch that, B.s-ing in general.  
Disclaimer: See bottom due to request.

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**To Build A Nest  
By: Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

Kakashi had underestimated what long night meant. The mission_ would _have been easy if the sky hadn't picked the most inconvenient time to start pelting them with rain. 'How it went from perfectly cloudless today, to storming, I have no idea.' Ah, Murphey's law never failed.

The group had started out as nine, before splitting into three groups. One team, lead by Yamato had taken to searching the forest just outside Konoha. The second group was sent to look over the most common route one would use to get from the capital of Hi no Kuni to Konohagakure; which left Kakashi leading his group through the mountain pass.

Unfortunately, they weren't having much luck.

Despite Pakkun's innate sense of smell, it didn't do any good in the rain, it warped the way the wind carried scents; scattering it about chaotically. He was currently looking at Kakashi like he could kill him, as he sat shivering from his perch on top of a rock. Pakkun did not like rain, period; but the dog was professional as always, and put up with it, after much grumbling and dirty looks.

The rain didn't seem like it would be letting up anytime soon, and the scent that Pakkun had caught just before it started had been effectively lost. "There's no point in you staying in these conditions." Kakashi admitted, waving his hand dismissively. "Thanks for the help." He watched from behind the mask as Pakkun slouched with relief.

"Yea." The dog replied, shaking as much rain off as he could. It was a bit redundant considering it was still pouring. "Tell me how things went when you get back." Was the last thing he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi let out a sigh, and turned his attention to the other two members of his team. Despite having the sharingan exposed underneath his mask as they searched it was doing very little good. It meant either two things, the first possibility was that their charges had had already been captured or done in; he was hoping for the second possibility, that the Anbu with them, was sinfully good at their job of keeping any potential enemies away. 'I shouldn't expect anything less.' Kakashi mused, bounding his way up a precipice, only to be interrupted by someone's alarmed cry.

"Aw fuck…" One of the accompanying Anbu hissed, his foot weighing down a thin thread of silver wire. Kakashi could only imagine the face hidden behind the white mask with numerous black spirals lining the left side. The code name Akugi certainly fit. (1)

"Its fine, it's not a trap." Kakashi mused after studying the miniscule wire, waving his hand. "It's a sensor, set up to react via chakra to the user…whoever set it up knows we're headed their way now…If it's the Daimyo's group then they're not far."

The domino sighed in relief, and shuffled his foot away. 'I didn't even notice it…' Whoever had set it up was highly skilled in laying traps. If it'd been lethal there was a high probability he'd have fallen prey. He turned to Kakashi briefly. "What do you think?"

Kakashi looked ahead. "If it were an enemy trap, you'd be dead, or highly injured…the highest probability, is that the Anbu accompanying the Daimyo and his group went ahead a short ways, most likely by Kage bunshin, and laid a sensor, so that he'd know if there was back coming up towards him from Konoha. He probably also backtracked a ways and set up another sensor, to look for enemies." Or at least that's what he would have done; A simple tactic, but effective.

"If that's the case, they shouldn't be too far ahead of us." The girl in the canary yellow and red bird mask stated, her head tilting to the side. She was craning her neck to peer past the rain and up the steep slope the rock face. Kakashi recalled her code name being Jakura.

"You'd be correct in that theory." A new voice stated, as a man in a Tiger mask bent down to peer at them from the plateau above them. His long black hair was pulled back into a long pony tail at the top of his head. The once pristine white of his Anbu issued armor was blemished with scorch marks despite the pounding rain. "The real me is back at camp waiting for you." He nodded his head into the direction behind him. "My code name is Tora…if you're all ready, we can head there now."

Kakashi nodded his head, and pulled himself over the ledge. "Yama-inu…" He stated, introducing himself before pointing to the other two Anbu in quick succession. "The bird is Jakura, and the other one is Akugi… did you encounter much trouble?" He wondered. Who ever had caused the incident at the capital, it didn't seem like they'd quit after learning there were survivors.

Akugi brought up the rear, as he glanced behind him apprehensively every now and then. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi could see Jakura's mask looking back and forth over the walls of rock surrounding them. Anbu troops were always on the lookout.

"Once we got out of the capital, things went well enough; I don't think they even knew we got out until it was too late." Tora paused, slipping through a thin gap between boulders. "But we've been moving almost nonstop the past three days, when the rain hit, I decided it would be best if we waited here until it cleared up, or we had backup."

Akugi frowned from behind his mask. "Hey, what exactly happened at the capital?" It was the question that everyone who knew about the incident had been asking.

"I think its best if to wait for that explanation until we're safely back in the village." Tora shook his head, his long black hair making soft pitter patters on his mask. "The sooner we get there the better."

Kakashi didn't argue with that. The sooner they were in the village, the safer it was. "Agreed." His tone left no room for any objections from the more curious man. Kakashi wasn't going to take any risks; things were already unpredictable as it was.

Their travel time was short and quiet; Tora had led them through a series of narrow outcroppings, before ducking into a concealed cavern. "They're in there." He pointed into the dimly fire illuminated cavern, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"You shouldn't cheat Amaya-hime." A low female voice chastised gently from within the cave.

"Oh don't be silly, that's beneath someone like me." Another female voice laughed, clearly pleased at the accusation. "You're so uncouth accusing me of such a thing, where are your manners Kame?"

Kakashi peered into the cave, before motioning to his subordinates to follow him in. The small structure housed four forms, The Anbu, two women and a man.

The first voice that had spoken belonged to a woman with dark green hair. Her slate blue colored eyes watched the intruders for a moment, before turning back to whatever had her attention before.

The real Tora greeted them with a raised free hand, the other one full of cards. "If you're not cheating, then why is there a card sticking out of your sleeve?" The tiger masked man stated, yawning from behind his mask.

The woman now labeled as Amaya sighed, flicking a few strands of long platinum white hair over her shoulder. "I can see now that I won't be getting any respect." She pouted, plucking the card from her sleeve and tossing it back into the pile. Her verdigris green eyes darted towards the impressive figures that had joined them. "I see backup arrived…"

"Without a doubt." Tora replied, setting his own cards back into the pile as he stood up. Kakashi was well renowned for his skill, even to younger generations. "That…" He motioned towards the last figure in the room that was hunched over a few scrolls intently. "…Is the new Daimyo."

Kakashi blinked from behind his mask, and looked the man over thoughtfully. He had long wild golden hair that was pulled back by red twine, and slightly tanned skin as opposed to the generally pasty faced nobility.

"My Name is Hitono Kinmura." The daimyo stated, pulling his cerulean blue eyes away from the scroll in front of him. "Sorry for the trouble." He stated simply, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

Kakashi shook his head. "It's no trouble…Konohagakure is meant to serve Hi no Kuni."

"I don't see it like that at all." Kinmura stated blatantly, as he rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into a pack. "The Daimyo is to serve the needs of Hi no Kuni, and Konoha is a part of this country. Therefore _I'm_supposed to be the one serving _you_." There was certainty dripping in his voice.

Kakashi smiled from behind his mask. Shinobi were excellent judges of character, If he had to go by that alone he could say without a doubt the country was in good hands. "I'm glad you believe that…but if you're dead you can't do any good." He reminded Kinmura.

"Of course." Kinmura sighed, and placed a fist on his side. "This whole situation is a mess." He admitted, helping Amaya off the stone she'd been perched on. Anyone with eyes could see the tenderness in the action. "This is my wife." He explained.

Amaya rose her hand in greeting. "You can call me Amaya." She cheerily ignored the dirty look Kame gave her.

"Amaya-_Hime." _The hand maiden corrected her.

" That's Kame…she's a killjoy." Amaya huffed waving her hands dismissively.

Kame didn't deny the charges, instead her lips twitched into a vague smile.

Tora extinguished the fire, masking any signs that someone had been inside the cavern in the first place. "How should we proceed from here?" he questioned the superior officer. Kakashi had more years under his belt, and he seemed to be heading the rescue mission.

"First things first… we need to signal the other teams that you've been found." Kakashi stated, pulling out a slip of paper. It burst into flames on contact, smoke rising from it lazily. "The captains of the other two teams should notice the smoke coming off their own papers." It meant that the Daimyo's group been found safe, and no back up was required at the moment. "The good news is this." He held up a transportation scroll.

Tora let out an almost inaudible, _Whew _of relief. It'd been a long three…no four days for him. Kinmura and the others were nice companions, and all, but he was close to exhausted.

"Shall we?" Kakashi questioned, turning to the rest of his squad. He was met with no opposition, so with that, he broke the seal on the scroll, before tossing it open in the air. The immediate vicinity was filled with pale grey smoke, before there was a sucking of air, resounding in the tall tale _poof_, of someone or in this case, a group of people porting from one place to another in a matter of seconds. (2)

When the smoke had finally cleared, they were standing inside a large seal in the middle of the Hokage's office.

"Excellent work." Danzo stated from his seat at the desk. Kakashi could see the two ever present root members lurking in the shadows.  
"I'm glad to see you've arrived safely." Danzo said as he pulled himself up and made his way across the room towards the group leisurely. He bowed his head towards Kinmura respectfully. "I apologize for the incident at the capital, if we had known; things surely would have been different."

Kinmura shook his head. "What's done is done; right now the concern is getting down to business." He stated gravely, looking over Danzo's shoulder and out the large windows of the office. The view was that of a half wrecked Konohagakure. "I know you're all probably wondering what happened at the capital…but that can wait until after the Jōnin convene."

If there was any shock in Danzo, he schooled it well. "For what are they to be convening for?" He questioned.

"If the information I have is correct, the Jōnin have yet to vote for Hokage, which means that although you had the former Daimyo's support you're position is still in question." Kinmura stated, turning his shrewd eyes to look Danzo in the face. "With my uncle, and the rest of the family's death Hi no Kuni is already in treacherous waters. Just take a look at Konohagakure, it just barely scraped by that invasion you had…We as a nation can't afford any more unrest, especially from Konoha. We're going to need this village as stable as possible, immediately."

Apparently, the new Daimyo was very well informed. "Exactly how did you come by this information?" Danzo wondered if perhaps Kinmura's Anbu guide from the capital had a roving tongue.

"It wasn't Tora, if that's what you're fishing for." Kinmura replied smoothly, waving a hand as if to swipe the thought away. He was quick to catch on to subtle things as well. "I'm sure you know just how ruthless the world of politics can be. As long as you've got the possibility of being in the seat of power, someone is always after you." He murmured, swiping a few gold strands out of his face. "The best way to combat that is to find them first...it involves a lot of espionage, and bribery….you often times gain information that you had no use for, or didn't at the time you received it."

Danzo nodded his head consciously, Kinmura's statement from earlier rung true. As long as there was a question about where the jōnin's loyalty was, Konohagakure was unstable. "Alright." He turned to Jakura and Akugi. "I want you to find Nara Shikaku, and help him gather the jonin together in one hour."

The two Anbu nodded their head, before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

"Kinmura-sama, perhaps you would like to speak about what happened at the capital?" Danzo prompted, he didn't like being the one left in the dark, strange since he found it fitting to do so too many others.

Kinmura shook his head. "It can wait until everyone is together." He turned to his wife. "Since we have an hour, do you mind settling us somewhere?" Although he was looking at Amaya, his question was directed towards the Hokage.

"Not at all…" Danzo looked towards Tora. "Take them to Kikyō castle, it survived the invasion I believe. We'll retrieve you when the jonin are gathered." He stated, sitting at his desk once more.

Tora nodded his head, before motioning for his charges to follow him. In the end, Kakashi was left alone with Danzo.

"You are the other candidate for Hokage." Danzo mused, peering over at Kakashi thoughtfully. "There's a strong chance it'll be you who takes the position."

Kakashi pushed his dog mask aside to look at Danzo. "That's true." He wondered what the point in this conversation would be.

"What will you do?" Danzo wondered. "…If it is you?" He knew that Kakashi wouldn't covet the position, not like he would.

Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know as well as I do, that I don't want the shiiposition…but if it's what Konoha wants, I'll do it." He wasn't going to say, that no matter how much he felt he wasn't suited for the position, anything was better than Danzo being in charge.

The former council member nodded his head thoughtfully. "You're dismissed."

With a grateful nod, Kakashi followed the path of the other Anbu, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"You could have him assassinated." Fū stated from his position in the shadows. Torune was quiet at that, having nothing to add.

Danzo nodded his head. "I _could_. But I _won't_." Kakashi was far too valuable for that, losing him would be a blow to the village, and as much as Danzo coveted the position of Hokage, he loved Konohagakure more.

With nothing left to discuss, they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Kakashi would have been happy to be home, if it weren't for the fact it'd been a long night, but judging by the looks of things it was about to be a long day. He unlocked the door to his apartment, glad that Sakura had taken his advice on home security seriously. His eyes roamed over the living room thoughtfully, the cushions on the couch looked like they'd never been moved.

Instead the pink haired girl was fast asleep, her knees folded under her as she laid slumped over his coffee table. Her cheek was pressed against a medical scroll she'd been studying.

Despite his weariness, a grin tugged his lips underneath the mask. 'She's really picking up Tsunade's mannerisms.' The slug sannin was always falling asleep at her desk, the scrolls and papers she'd been looking over leaving ink imprints all over her face as proof. She'd once walked around town with the Kanji for rejected printed on her forehead in bright red.

He tipped his head to the side, as he studied her. 'That has to be one of the most uncomfortable sleeping positions known to man.' Kakashi mused, setting his Anbu mask on the coffee table. "Sakura." He shook her shoulder slightly.

"Hmm?" Two green, sleep dazed eyes fluttered open, flashing with annoyance. Sakura pulled her head up as she looked around, blinking the blurriness away. "Your back." She stated the obvious, as she stretched.

Kakashi bobbed his head in confirmation, but his voice had something else to say. "Nope, I'm just a figure of your imagination here to chide you about not sleeping properly." he flipped onto the couch to take off his shoes.

"Ah." Sakura responded. "I knew I shouldn't have stopped taking that medication." Her tone was tainted with dry humor. "How did the mission go?" she wondered, becoming serious in an instant.

"It went perfectly, well besides the rain." Kakashi admitted. "You were completely right about the route they took." He didn't miss the look of pride on her face. It was amazing, what the simple act of speaking the truth about her skill could do.

Sakura smiled slowly; there was no point in hiding her satisfaction from his comment. "And what's the new Daimyo like?" She wondered curiously, her head tipping to the side like a kitten.

Kakashi unbuckled the guards around his forearms, before glancing at her. "Well…" He paused. "So far, he seems like someone with the best interests of the people on his mind." But there was always that off chance that he was wrong. "He's already demanded Danzo call the Jōnin to meet."

"That's good..w-wait, what for?." Sakura mused, stopping in the middle of her yawn. Her viridian green eyes wide in surprise.

"To finalize who gets the position of Hokage." Kakashi stated; half wishing he could play hooky from the fast approaching meeting. He'd probably be dragged there by forty Anbu if he did though.' That would be more trouble than it's worth.' The copy-nin mused, as he got to his feet and wandered into his room to get dressed in his normal apparel.

Sakura sighed and stretched her arms to the air again. "Do you want me to run out and grab you some breakfast?" it was the least she could do.

"Nah." Kakashi shook his head despite the fact she couldn't see it. "I'll grab something after the meeting." He stated, slinking back out, redressed in his Jōnin attire.

'That's not fair.' Sakura eyed him jealously. She envied him for dressing so quickly. "If you say so." She mumbled.

Kakashi smiled, his eyes creasing shut as he pulled the forehead protector down over the left side of his face. With that done, he propped a foot on top of the coffee table and began wrapping another role of bandages around his thigh. "So…what were you studying so hard last night?" He wondered, he'd had the sharingan closed most of the night in a perpetual wink so he could conserve Chakra.

"Ah that...." She was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot now. Which, if Kakashi knew Sakura, it meant it was something potentially dangerous, or something she'd wanted to keep secret. Either way it couldn't be good.

Kakashi frowned, looking over at her, hands stopped dead in their tracks. "Sakura…" He began austerely, fixing her with a sharp look from one eye; it was more than enough.

"Fine, fine." Sakura sighed, and flopped back on the couch. "I was working on the Yin seal." She said, rubbing her forehead tiredly. The technique may have sounded easy, but the process was actually rather difficult, especially when you only had a paper to go by. (3)

Kakashi's brow furrowed in confusion, as he sat next to her, clipping his utility pouch to the bandaged thigh. "Tsunade's technique…you're trying to learn Sōzō Saisei." He realized with a start. The Yin seal was the precursor to the miracle medical Jutsu.

"Correct." Sakura responded, looking out the small window across the room she could almost hear the lecture brewing. Both the Yin seal and Sōzō Saisei were considered s-rank Jutsu, for Sakura to be trying to figure them out by paper alone, was dangerous.

She'd been right about the lecture. "You probably shouldn't be doing that." Kakashi stated, wrapping his left ankle in bandages. "Tsunade's the only one I know of that is able to do either of them." He'd never had the chance to attempt copying them, and even if he had, there was no way to know if he'd be able to do so.

"If it were Naruto trying to do something like this, you wouldn't stop him." Sakura was frowning at him. Hell, if it were Sasuke, he wouldn't say anything.

Kakashi gave a sigh, and set the next roll of bandages down before he started on his other ankle. "You're right." He admitted. "I did mention you were my favorite, right?" He wondered, his eye sliding closed into a smile. It didn't hurt to try and lesson the blow with a bit of truthful buttering up.

"I remember something to that effect." Sakura acknowledged a slight smile tugging her pale pink lips. She knew he was only concerned…but it didn't make her feel any less useless. The skills that Sakura had now just wouldn't do, Naruto was improving leads and bounds in what seemed like mere days; who knew what Sasuke was learning, or had already learned. Even Kakashi was still improving. She was always behind the three most important men in her life.

Kakashi leaned his head back against the couch. "I know, that you feel like you've got something to prove, or some misguided thing like that." He stated, glancing over at her with a lazy eye. "You can't always compare yourself to those two…you have your own strengths and talents."

Sakura's lashes lowered of her eyes solemnly. She hated it, when people could see through her like a piece of paper. "If you believe that, then you'll support me in this…I made a promise to myself, not to be left behind as long as I could help it. Besides, who knows if Tsunade will ever wake up, we can't let that Jutsu die out."

"Sōzō Saisei can takes years off your life if used correctly, what happens if you mess up?" The Copy-nin pointed out, hoping to get her to see reason. The thought of Sakura having to use that technique scared him.

The pink haired girl was shaking her head. "You're getting ahead of yourself…I haven't even figured out the Yin seal yet." She pointed out. "Imagine what good it'll do for me." She began, her eyes becoming vibrant. "We both know my Chakra levels are pitiful, if I could figure out how to use the yin seal, and refine it to the point, where rather then it flooding my system with stored up chakra, I could draw certain amounts out each time…" She trailed off leaving it to his imagination. Sakura had a persuasive argument and she knew it.

Kakashi sighed, and quickly finished wrapping his ankle. She had a very good point, being able to store chakra and use it at a later date, would do wonders for her in battle, and medic wise. As long as she stayed away from Sōzō Saisei, he wouldn't have any objections to her attempting to learn the Yin seal on her own. "Fine." He heaved a sigh, and pulled his sandals on.

"I thought you'd see things my way." Sakura grinned, feeling very satisfied at having won an argument with the great copy-nin Kakashi.

"Don't get so full of yourself." Kakashi smiled from behind his mask. "I only conceded because I'm pressed for time." He was going to be late if he didn't hurry.

Sakura snorted in an unconvinced manner, and pointed a finger at him. "Of course, because being late weighs so heavily on your conscious."

Kakashi place a hand where his heart was dramatically. "No respect…" he sounded utterly heartbroken. He was given a sympathetic pat on the back by the petite girl.

"I'm sure there's someone out there who respects you." Sakura grinned, her green eyes glowing with amusement. "Gai-sensei does." She laughed at the shudder Kakashi gave. Ever since the noble green beast of Konoha had to carry him back from Suna, he'd avoided the man like the plague.

Going to the meeting, meant he'd undoubtedly run into the taijutsu specialist .'Just another reason not to go.' Kakashi blinked when Sakura held out the Icha Icha charmed key.

"Thanks for letting me stay." Sakura smiled slowly. "I appreciate it…and I'm glad you're safe." She stated, moving towards the door. "Good luck at the meeting!" She called, disappearing from sight.

Kakashi shook his head, he'd have to keep an eye on her, he didn't trust her to abandon the desire to learn Sōzō Saisei so easily, but for now, he had a meeting to get too. With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, teleporting to the assembly. It was already full. Kakashi couldn't help but laugh nervously, when numerous eyes turned to look at him. "Ahaha…sorry I'm late, there was this kitten that was being naughty…" He began, whipping Icha Icha out as a shield.

"Uhuh." Shikaku stated from his spot at the long table set up on a stage. "Just take a seat Hatake."

Kakashi saluted him with a closed Icha Icha, before taking a seat in a blessedly empty chair. Unfortunately, that chair was next to Gai. 'Damn.' He cursed himself for being late. Vaguely, Kakashi could hear Genma snickering behind him.

"How lucky!" Gai flashed a sparkly white smile towards his rival. "I've been looking for you the past three days."

Kakashi noded his head mutely, still cursing his luck "Shh…I think Shikaku is about to speak." He pointed to the Nara clan leader. "It'd be rude to talk."

That seemed to put a halt to whatever insane challenge Gai was about to pose.

"Now as I was saying, before I was interrupted." Shikaku made sure to single Kakashi out with a glare. For his part, Kakashi managed to look utterly innocent, and even send the Jōnin commander a cheerful wave, before turning back to his book. "Before we put the issue of who we believe should be Hokage, the Daimyo have decided to explain just what happened at the capital."

Kinmura watched all this with thinly veiled amusement, his chin resting against the palm of his hand. At the mention of his title, he sat up straighter, dismissing his carefree stature with ease. "That's right." He gave a sigh. "A day or two after Konohagakure was attacked, there was a social event being held at Yougan the capital of Hi no Kuni, usually the entire royal family would never be in the same place." He stated, his eyes becoming solemn. "This is to ensure, that if there is an assassination attempt, the entire family isn't decimated. As you can see, it was a mistake to allow it even once a year."

The room was quiet, in both anticipation and respect for the lives lost.

"In any case, it was a perfect time to act if you were out to leave the country running around with its head cut off. What they weren't counting on however my wife was throwing a fit about having to attend a stuffy formal meeting on our anniversary." Kinmura mused, a smile tugging his lips. "She's very stubborn about these things, and managed to convince our Anbu guard Tora, to create doppelgangers to take our place…so we were touring the gardens, with Kame holding the Parasol, and Tora shadowing us as usual."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi caught sight of a familiar haired man across the room shift uncomfortably. It was more than likely the Anbu Tora, he had the same build. 'Definitely him.' He mused, when the man's eyes met his, and flashed with recognition.

"It wasn't long after the doppelgangers took our place, that we began noticing something strange…There was a lot of screaming coming from the palace." Kinmura was back to frowning, as he tucked his folded hands under his chin. "I asked Tora to investigate, but he refused, on the grounds that leaving us alone would expose us to even more danger. He also explained that if something happened to the doppelgangers, he would know what was going on inside."

The Daimyo's voice was echoing through the antechamber. "Not long after, Tora showed signs of being alarmed, and said we had to evacuate the premises immediately, not ten minutes after we'd reached the distance of about fifty yards, the entire palace went up in flames." He pressed a few fingers to his temple thoughtfully. "He would later explain that before the explosion, figures in black clocks, had swept through the dining hall, and slaughtered everyone, before detonating the palace."

There were quiet murmurs all throughout the chamber. Black cloaks were more than enough to implicate Akatsuki.

"From there, since Tora was sure that no one had survived, we went to the main temple, and had the rights performed; afterwards, we headed straight for Konohagakure." Kinmura finished. "I can't tell you in detail what happened in the building, I wasn't there…but I can tell you my suspicions. I'd hold Akatsuki accountable for what happened."

There was nodding all around. They were certainly the most likely culprits, it was all to coincidental, that communication with the capital had been cut off right after the former Daimyo's last visit, which had come directly after Pain's attack.

"Now, its you're turn." Kinmura stated, motioning towards Shikaku. "The sooner the vote is placed, the sooner we move onto big business."

Shikaku nodded his head. "Alright, this is how it's going to go, Kakashi, Danzo-sama, please stand up." He watched as one drew to his feet proudly, and the other, reluctantly put his book away.

Kinmura studied the candidates carefully. He easily recognized the one called Kakashi. It was hard to forget that hair, and the slouched stature. 'The most trust worthy holder of power is always the one who doesn't want it in the first place.'

"Those in favor of Danzo, raise your hands." He stated, motioning towards the man in question.

A good quarter of the room raised their hands in support of the old ninja. He'd served Konoha faithfully for many years, and was one of the oldest shinobi alive in the village. Already, the outcome of the vote was clear.

"And now those who are in favor of Kakashi raise your hands." Shikaku stated, not bothering to raise his own hand. The rest of the three quarters had risen their hands silently.

Kinmura nodded, and looked towards Danzo. "I apologize…but I'm revoking the former Daimyo's decision." He stated, giving the elder man a soft smile. "I think it's best to leave the care of the village in Hatake-san's hands…at least until Tsunade-hime wakes ups."

The smile on Kakashi's face was bitter sweet. It was nice to know just how admired you were…but the position wasn't suited for someone like him. He could hear the shouted congratulations being thrown his way, and nodded his head halfheartedly, when numerous people clapped him on the back.

"In any case, there are a few more things that have to be discussed." Kinmura's voice cut through the festivity. The room quickly quieted down, curious eyes turning towards the Daimyo.

Kinmura gave a wry smile to the filled room. 'They certainly are obedient.' His chin was once more resting against the palm of his hand as he spoke. "I have no intention of reforming the former Daimyo's type of council, it was curropt and filled with men out to achieve their own agenda, my goal is only the benefit of Hi no Kuni as a nation. I have no desire for riches, and I have no desire to be associated with those types of people." His voice was filled with disgust.

Shikaku's eyes widened slightly. "You plan to rule the country on your own?"

"Absolutely not…that's far too much trouble for one man." Kinmura admitted, his eyes shutting thoughtfully. "From here on out, I will be turning to the Hokage, and his or her subordinates for advice."

This time, surprise was evident on everyone's face, as a huge uproar of whispering clamored throughout the room.

In all honesty, the offer was phenomenal. It was a way for Konohagakure to control, rather than be controlled by monetary means. No other Ninja village had ever been posed this offer before; they were used as tools, with little to no political sway, to be tossed away when they were deemed un-useful.

"It shouldn't surprise you that much." Kinmura stated, looking around the room in amusement. "Shinobi have to be more politically savvy, as to avoid causing any unnecessary friction on their missions to foreign countries. It makes perfect sense to replace a corrupt system, with a more trustworthy one…" He trailed off, before beginning again. "The Hokage of this village, have all had the same desire; to protect Konohagakure. While my dream is the same, it extends much further I don't just want to protect a single village, I want to protect an entire nation."

Kakashi had been right, when he made his judgment of Kinmura the first time. He wasn't just going to lead efficiently though, he was going to break new ground.

"I consider Konohagakure a part of this country, as much as any civilian village, but it's far more important, and by far underpaid." Kinmura admitted. "As part of the council I'm planning to form, the village will receive a substantial bonus, in addition to the political benefits it'll be receiving." He was well aware it was an offer they wouldn't refuse. "With the money you'll still be brining in from any missions you chose to accept, I think it's safe to say you won't have to worry about money."

Danzo was still standing from earlier, his eyes studying Kinmura's face. "That's a big offer."

"One that I genuinely stand for." Kinmura stated simply. "I understand if you need time to think about it." He shrugged. If it weren't such a serious situation, he would have laughed. It wasn't often one got to throw a whole stadium packed with jonin into a frenzy with a few words.

Kakashi shook his head, and motioned for Shikaku to follow him towards where the other two Konoha elders sat. They were quickly joined by Danzo.

"This is an offer we definitely can't refuse." Mitokado Homura stated rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his glasses glinted in the light.

"I agree." The copy-nin stated, lips pursed underneath his mask briefly.

Utatane Koharu pressed a wrinkled thumb against her lips thoughtfully. "I can't find any fault in it." She admitted. Konohagakure was in dire need, and the offer was most beneficial.

"Agreed." The promise of political sway was enough to convince even Danzo.

Shikaku held his hands up in a halting motion when their eyes turned to him. "Even if I wanted to disagree, it wouldn't do any good." He stated. "The decision is unanimous, and frankly, I don't want to disagree."

This was probably one of the first and only times that they would all be in undivided agreement over anything.

Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief. It was one less battle to fight with the more militant elders. This was like a dream come true for them. "We agree." He called over towards Kinmura, he was looking rather smug.

"Great…so for now, is it safe for me to assume this meeting is over?" Kinmura wondered, getting to his feet.

Kakashi nodded his head numbly. 'This is a lot to take in.' He couldn't ever remember being this surprised. He wasn't about to get any breaks either, before could dismiss anyone, a Anbu troop motioned for his attention. "Hm?" Kakashi blinked his lazy eye.

"I just came from the hospital…Tsunade-sama's awake." The man in the frog mask stated.

Kinmura seemed to hear it, despite the distance away. "Is that so…Well, I guess I'll go inform her of all this myself." He let out an aggravated sigh. "This is one hell of a day."

'I couldn't agree more.' Kakashi mused, his single eye rolling up to the ceiling in total worship of whatever god was looking over him. 'Thank you!' he couldn't be happier about Tsunade waking up. "Well, maybe next time you'll catch me." He flashed a smirk behind his mask at Shikaku. "No such luck on Hokage Kakashi this time."

Shikaku rolled his eyes, before directing his attention towards Kinmura. "I'll go with you..There are some things I'd like to discuss."

"Of course." The golden haired Daimyo consented. 'I don't know where the hospital is anyways.' He mused, following after the pineapple haired man.

Shikaku dismissed the gatherers on his way out, giving the lingering ones a scathing look. People enjoyed drama far too much for his tastes.

Kakashi gave a short wave to the elders, quickly poofing away before Gai could catch him. It'd been a long two days and the last thing he wanted to fool with, was a contest involving who could eat more jalapeño peppers. 'Its nice to be able to go from one place to another in seconds 'he mused, flopping onto his beat up couch.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the red scroll that had caught his attention the night before. With a shrug, he tugged the forehead protector off his eye. It would only take a second to read with the sharingan exposed, and then he could sleep. With that in mind, he pulled the scroll from the box, and untwined the silver thread keeping it shut.

it unrolled easily, revealing the eloquently written script inside. The words were forever seared into Kakashi's eyes.

It resulted in Kakashi doing the most un-shinobi thing one could think of…

He fainted from _shock._

* * *

Prepare yourself for the longest author note so far. ( I think.)

(1) A note on code Names:  
Tora: Tiger  
Akugi: trick  
Jakura: Sparrow net.  
Yama-inu: meaning wild dog.  
( Names do play a big part in TBAN, You'll find out soon enough.)  
(2) Okay, so Tsuki honestly has no idea if there really are teleportation scrolls or not. She also doesn't know the mechanics of them if they even do exist. So like she does with everything she doesn't know and can't find on the net…she B.S's it. I imagine, there is a seal placed in the destination they want to teleport too, then the seal is printed on a scroll, and when the scroll is opened, it teleports them to the mother seal.  
(3) Yin seal: Tsunade stores chakra over a period of time into the bindi on her forehead, and usually uses it to perform Sozo Saisei… the yin seal from what I understand, floods all the chakra into the system at once…sakura is trying to figure out if she can do it gradually, among other things Like I said, this chapter is full of B.S-ing. ( I only tell you the techniques because I have a friend who doesn't know much about Naruto reading through for me…he's great like that.)

Special mentions: **Calm Serene **(Because she's getting me addicted to writing this D: I can't go like, a day without writing or thinking about it. ), **Valorous Roland**( He reads even though he doesn't know much about Naruto), **quarterdark**( Said that when they read, it's like they can see the anime :D that makes me proud.) Seriously though, I would mention everyone, but I'm already over my 6000 word a chapter limit. (Again.)

Okay onto more important businesses.  
**Iggy and Red pen**: I haven't had a chance to go back and fix the mistakes on my; you and you're's in last chapter D: sorry…usually Microsoft is REALLY good at fixing those…Admittedly; I rushed through editing it last time.  
Meh, I citied the third leg thing, because when it was posed to me, I took like three full minutes to figure it out…I wanted to believe I wasn't the only silly person out there *Feels shamed* I hope the citations don't get me in trouble this time. Eeek..Sorry *smiles sheepishly* I know my birthday is the bane of numerous hardworking tax payers. Not me though XD I make my money under the table.  
I'm so glad I'm held in high regard D: I shall try to uphold the good name of TBAN.

Thank you both for your corrections, I'll try and implement them as soon as possible.

So…out of the blue Friday, my parents made me go with them to NJ wildwood to go to the beach and boardwalk…it was cold, I didn't get on any rides, and If I was sick as a dog before, I'm officially dying now. My legs shake like jello when I stand, and my hands tremble too *sweats* and when I move around to fast, I feel faint, so I apologize if this is poorly edited. ( Your probably thinking to yourself: Why the fook are you writing then!? Meh, i'm addicted. *Shameless.* )

On a side note, a bird hit our kitchen window this morning when I walked in….erk…that's a bad omen.  
*Cowers in her corner* if I don't have another chapter up in a week or two.. I must be dead. If things go according to plan however, the next chapter will start from Sakura's view…we've seen a lot of Kakashi so far. Sakura needs her time in the limelight.

This is probably a one time thing…it takes up to much space.

Tsuki: *Dressed in a woman's pin stripped business suit and holding a microphone* Ahem…this is Tsuki-chan reporting live from where-ever. I have a very special an-*the wall behind her is blown to bits* Hey!  
Gai: Never fear, Maito Gai is here! *Strikes a pose, and flashes his teeth*  
Lee: That's right! *Pumps fist into the air* we're here to save you from being sued Tsuki-san~!  
Tsuki: *Sweats* Er…that's all fine and dandy but-  
Gai: You can thank us later. *shushes her* Lee, are you ready?  
Lee: *Tears* Hai Gai-sensei!  
Tsuki : *Shrieks when they rip off their green body suits to reveal even more hideous green and orange business attire* 'What the hell is wrong with these two?! Those colors don't match at all!'  
Gai: on behalf of the author…  
Lee: We here by state…  
Gai and Lee: Tsuki doesn't own anything. *Thumbs up*  
Tsuki: *Eye twitches * How troublesome...


	5. Her Parental Bonds

Disclaimer: See Below.

Tsuki promptly bursts into tears and began pulling at her hair. "W-why?! Why do you have to torture me?" she jabbed her finger at the lawyers accusingly. "We both know the answer!" it didn't do any good, they were still circling her like sharks.  
"Just say it." The men in suits coaxed. "It's painless…besides, if you don't…we take it _all_."  
There was a sharp gasp of horror. "_All_ of it?" Tsuki bit her nails nervously, as the suits nodded their heads. "Fine…fine. I don't own Naruto." The unlucky author hyperventilated, as she sunk to her knees and screamed. "And I Curse it every day!" She shook her fist at the sky.

* * *

**To Build a Nest**  
**By Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

Sakura heaved a sigh as she walked down the streets on her way to work. She'd booked it out of Kakashi's apartment after catching sight of a rather dusty clock sitting on his book shelf; despite the layer of dust covering the time piece, it matched up with her wrist watch, meaning she was indeed late. 'If that's anything to go by, today is going to turn out badly.' She huffed slightly, and ran her hands through her hair, combing out any tangles that might have been.

'I probably look like I just went through the wringer.' She lamented, trudging up the hospital walk way miserably. Even if Sakura had shed most of her vain tendencies, that didn't mean she liked walking around town looking like she'd spent the night in a barn. "It can't be helped." She stated to herself quietly.

Walking through the hospital doors was like walking into a living allegory on extreme opposites. Inside was housed both life and death, locked in their eternal battle; one always trying to overcome the other. Though death always seemed to have the upper hand, Life had medics like Sakura; so it put up one hell of a fight regardless of the stacked odds.

The receptionist at the desk looked up as Sakura streaked by, and gave a small smile as she sorted through some papers. "Gee...I think you're beginning to pick up some of those attributes of your old Sensei. First you play hokey, and now you're turning up late!" She joked, waving a finger at the pink haired girl. "I hope you don't start reading porn in public too!"

Sakura flashed the woman a grin. "Over my dead body." As much as she admired some of Kakashi's traits, Icha Icha was not one of them. "Things have just been hectic lately...I hope I didn't cause any trouble Chiyuui." Her eyes softened slightly. The last thing they needed was anyone dragging down the hospital. Although most people were out of the clear and were recovering, there were still a few who weren't so well off.

"Uh-uh…things have been fine." Chiyuui smiled, and waved her hand. "You've been under a lot of pressure with Tsunade-sama like she is, and with Shizune's near death experience...You have been doing the most work out of all of us, so don't feel bad for missing a day, and coming in a few minutes late. You're basically in charge anyways." She snorted, rolling around the donut shaped desk to place some papers. "Whose gonna yell at you?" Anybody who did that had to be crazy, in her opinion. Not only was Sakura-Chan crazy strong, but there was no doubt in her mind Tsunade favored the girl, even if she was merciless in training her. 'Although I suppose that favoritism doesn't do much good with the condition Tsunade's in.' she sighed slightly. What a sad state of affairs they were in. 'Could be worse.' Chiyuui scolded herself with a start.

There could be a lot more casualties then they already had. Hell, Konoha could have been eradicated completely. Chiyuui thanked the gods they hadn't been. She quiet liked being alive.

Sakura smiled wryly. "I could think of a few." Women were fickle things indeed. She could count quite a few times other nurses and medics had gotten a bit catty with her for numerous reasons. Most of those people had been quickly put in their place by a demonstration of her skills; unfortunately there were still a few more resolute pests roaming around. "Well, I better go clock in." She sighed, stopping midways. "Any news on Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura wondered hopefully.

"None yet." Chiyuui cast the girl a regretful glance, the bond between Sakura and her teacher was evident. "I'm sure she'll wake up soon though. That lady is as resilient as the ocean is full." And she meant it too.

"I guess you're right." Sakura admitted, focusing her eyes on the tiled floor. Yamato and the others had put a lot of effort into restoring the hospital. 'I really had a good feeling about today too.' She shook off the disappointment. "Well duty calls." She cast the receptionist one more smile, before slinking off towards the locker room to clock in.

Sakura grabbed her card from its slot, and punched it in, ignoring the few women loitering around the locker room. It was just her luck, one of them happened to be one those few who hadn't been whipped into place.

Kotsuno Reiko did not like Sakura for numerous reasons. The primary one was hurt pride. She was a good five years senior to the pink haired girl, and was painfully below the girl's skill as medic; not that she'd ever admit it, even to herself. "Looks like someone showed up for work today." She stated, still filing her nails.

Despite Sakura's insecurities, and her apologies to Chiyuui earlier, when the words came out of Reiko's mouth they had very little to no value. So it was easy for her to brush aside the comment. "Good morning to you too." Sakura greeted, finding an empty locker, and shoving her bag into it. "Speaking of work, since you and I are on the same schedule, shouldn't you be doing rounds?" She wondered, placing a finger against her chin in a thoughtful and innocent gesture.

"Hmph." Reiko responded, sending the younger girl a seething look as she put the nail file away. She was on her feet in a few minutes. "Whatever." She sent the Slug sannin's apprentice a smirk, before slinking out of the room, pausing only to punch her own time card in.

Sakura sighed for what seemed like the millionth time. 'What a great day…first I'm late, and then that woman…what next…Perhaps a deadly outbreak of botulism?' The smirk Reiko had sent her way made Sakura wonder if she should be on the lookout for some petty act of revenge. 'I'll think about that when the time comes.' She mused, there wasn't anything Reiko could dish out, and that Sakura couldn't take.

With that in mind she picked up a clipboard with her name printed on it. She had rounds to make, and patients to see too. Not to mention she'd be spending an ungodly amount of time sifting through recovered paperwork, and refilling; in all it was going to be hell.

So she spent the next six hours slaving away over generally monotonous tasks, checking vitals, filling out paper work, filing and reviewing more paperwork.

Around midday Sakura punched out for her lunch break, and made her way back towards the locker room. When she opened the metal casing and found it empty, she really wished she had resorted to petty violence; it would have put Reiko in her place a lot quicker then backhanded comments.

Sakura knew it had been Reiko based on two things. One, she was the only one who had the Guts to do something so stupid, and the second being the long black strand of hair dusting the inside of the lockers surface. Sakura may not have been as excellent of a tracker as Kakashi, or Kiba, but any Ninja worth their salt could piece these two facts together.

'I really should have suspected this.' She thought glaring into her empty locker. This was not going to go unpunished. "Why the drama?" Sakura moaned to herself, didn't she have enough of that already?

First things first, was finding Reiko, and by proxy her bag. There was really only one thing in the bag worth recovering, and that was the Sōzō Saisei and Yin seal scroll. Sakura could not let someone stealing that important item pass without a fight, even if she'd already made her own detailed notes on the techniques and placed them away for safe keeping. It was the concept of someone having the nerve to steal from her. 'And of all things, my shishou's life work!' She fumed, storming her way out of the locker room and down the halls.

It was different, for Sakura to have picked the scroll up from the rubble. She handled it with the respect, and reverence it deserved; as was befitting for Jutsu's of that caliber. Someone like Reiko couldn't possibly understand or appreciate it, as proof by her immature actions. It was more than just that though; what Reiko had done, Sakura considered an insult to her master.

For that, she definitely couldn't just brush it off. "Chiyuui, have you seen Reiko?" Sakura asked as sweetly as she could, trying her best to hide the anger bubbling just under the surface.

The receptionist stopped mid-bite into her sandwich. "Err…." The look in Sakura's eyes was unmistakable. 'What did that idiot do?' She really hoped the pink haired girl didn't destroy any of the hospital…or hell, even cause Reiko to be admitted into the building. She'd make everyone miserable. "Ah, I think I saw her exit the building a few minutes ago for lunch." Chiyuui stated, pointing towards the door with her free hand. "What'd she do?"

"she took a few things from my locker." Sakura stated resentfully, glaring out the glass doors. There was no point in putting up a front about it. 'If I don't hurry, I'll have a harder time finding her.' But she wasn't going to run out on Chiyuui, she'd been good to Sakura over the years.

Chiyuui rolled her eyes. "Okay, I won't blame you if you break a few of her bones, or smash a bit of concrete." She proceeded to shoo the pink haired girl. "Just be sure to heal her. Let's not make any of the staff suffer." She sighed, biting into her sandwich. 'In some places, if you steal you're offending hand gets cut off. A little punch from Sakura wouldn't hurt.' Well, maybe it would.

"Thanks for the permission!" Sakura gave a short laugh, before darting out the doors and taking off onto the walk way. The restaurants closest to the hospital were her destination. They were Reiko's most likely destination. Sure enough, she caught sight of the signature waist length black hair, pulled back into a low ponytail. The hair style had always reminded Sakura of the sound-nin who'd caught her by the hair during the first chuunin exams.

As if she'd sensed Sakura's foreboding presence, Reiko turned around, making no effort to hide her smirk. "Ah, Sakura-Chan…what are you doing out of the hospital? I didn't know you had a social life." There was only sarcasm attached to the suffix.

"Cut the crap." Sakura scowled her patience worn paper thin. "Give back the scroll, and I won't permanently disfigure your face more than it already is." She was through trying to be polite. 'Might as well give her one REALLY good reason to hate me.' She mused, cracking her knuckles in preparation.

Reiko snorted, and waved her hand at Sakura patronizingly. "What are you talking about?" She wasn't going to spill the beans so easily. Apparently, Kotsuno Reiko didn't have any sense of self preservations, it really was a shame.

"In that case…" Sakura cast her a devious smile as she pulled her fist back, slamming it into the ground with haste. She'd made sure to only use a fraction of her usual strength. There was no reason to cause any more damage than necessary. 'It did the job perfectly though…' Sakura watched with fondness, as the ground in-between them split apart for a good few feet, collapsing underneath her Foe's feet. This was just one of the many gifts Tsunade had graced her with.

The thief on the other hand, didn't appreciate it nearly as much as Sakura. "Are you crazy!?" Reiko shrieked, her arms flailing around from the hole she was. She couldn't wipe the terrified look off her face no matter how hard she tried.

"Extremely." Sakura responded with a smirk, her fist resting against her hip in a lax pose. "Next time, you won't get off so lucky. So I'll ask you one more time; _where is the Scroll_?" She pronounced each word slowly, as if Reiko were an idiot beyond comparison; although many would argue she had to be for defying someone like Sakura.

Reiko seethed angrily, stumbling her way out of the crater. "You mean this?" She whipped the battered object out of her pocket. "What's the point in you having it?" She spat bitterly, tossing it to the ground in front of Sakura. "You couldn't learn that technique in a million years!"

Sakura's cool façade faded away as soon as the scroll hit the ground. "You can say whatever you want about me!" She hissed angrily, picking the scroll up off earth. "But when you disrespect Tsunade-sama, it's a whole different story; this scroll isn't just something you can throw around without consequence!" Once the object was safely tucked away in Sakura's pouch she strode forward.

The tension between the two was wound as tight as a wire. The entire audience around them was held captive by the starting display of Sakura's strength. If the pink haired girl had seen the adoring looks a group of small girls were shooting her, she would have been blushing.

"Don't lecture me, you little punk!" Reiko's voice pitched with panic. Pride really was going to be her down fall. No matter how terrified she might have been, her Ego just wouldn't let her shut up. Sakura's wrath was legendary, and so she found herself cursing her big mouth in the next few seconds.

Sakura hummed, and looked the older woman over with pensive eyes. She wasn't going to resort to another act of violence; Reiko didn't stand a chance. 'I think the best retribution would be a period of long suffering.' She let a smile bloom over her lips, and turned away. "See you at work." With that said, Sakura left a whole crowd of people, including Reiko gapping in shock.

"I guess she really was all talk." Reiko heaved a sigh of relief, and brushed some dirt off her once pristine white uniform. Still, she couldn't shake a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that her punishment had only just begun.

The wind was blowing at Sakura's back as she trekked her way back towards the hospital, small dark green leaves fluttered along with it, dancing in the gales. It was something Sakura had always loved about Konoha, the trees were always green. No matter how cold it became, or how late in the season, the leaves always remained on the trees.

'It wouldn't be the hidden village of the leaf without them.' She noted wryly. 'It'd be more like the sometimes hidden village.' Without the perpetually green tree's, the village would be painfully visible. Sakura gave a small yawn as she walked back through the hospital doors, noting that Chiyuui's shift had ended and another receptionist had taken her place.

Sakura passed by her with a brief greeting, she was intent on skipping lunch and finishing her shift early; Vaguely she could hear both Tsunade and Kakashi chiding her on the importance of eating three or more meals a day…but She didn't want to spend the rest of the day in the same building as Reiko; not today at least. With that in mind, she retrieved her clipboard from the locker room, and punched back in.

She'd been almost down with her rounds, and exiting a patient's room, when she almost had her nose broken by the stairwell door slamming open. "Hey!" Sakura shrieked, sending the offender a scathing glare, after narrowly dodging. The sharp gaze quickly faded away when she took in the frazzled appearance of the blonde nurse.

"S-sorry." The normally bright and vibrant Aiko heaved. 'Whew I am really out of shape.' She wiped some sweat of her forehead. "I was looking all over for you!" She cried, perking up quickly.

Sakura smiled, Aiko was another one of the people in the hospital whose Company She enjoyed. The girl was a lot like Naruto, only a lot more tactful and socially aware. Aiko was always smiling, and could be called the mediator when it came to the female staff. She had a way of diffusing petty squabbles. "What did you need?" she blinked, snapping out of her musings.

"It's Tsunade-sama." Aiko stated, pointing upwards. She certainly hadn't been expected Sakura's slip second reaction.

"What about her?" Sakura demanded the clipboard dropping to the floor as the worst possibilities sprung to mind. Without thinking she began shaking the blonde by the uniform in panic, unable to hear Aiko's alarmed squeal. "Is she okay?" Her green eyes slowly became wide. "Oh god is she…" She trailed, not able to voice the thought on her mind.

"N-no!" Aiko somehow managed to spit the words out, despite the world spinning around her. 'Geez, I think I'm about to be motion sick.' Thankfully, Sakura stopped shaking her, but was keeping a white knuckled grip on her uniform. "She woke up a bit ago, and was asking for you." Aiko pouted, shaking her head to clear her vision. "I ran all around the hospital looking for you, and you gave me such a rough treatment." She chastised teasingly.

Sakura bowed apologetically. "Sorry, and thanks!." She stated quickly, flashing her coworker a smile, before fleeing up the steps. She wasn't going to keep Tsunade waiting anymore then she already had.

"Not a problem." Aiko waved, before snatching the forgotten clipboard up off the ground. 'Sakura-Chan is really a nice girl…it won't kill me to do some of her rounds, especially since she's more than half done.' The blonde gave a sigh. 'I need the exercise anyways.' She really needed to see about getting some missions, and soon.

Tsunade's room was littered with empty food containers when Sakura burst through the door. "Hm? It's about time." Tsunade stated, through her full mouth. "Where have you been?" She arched a brow. Truth be told however, she was glad Sakura hadn't seen her in the state she'd been in a few hours ago. Tsunade herself could hardly stand looking in the mirror when she'd lost her youthful appearance.

Shizune sighed, from her spot in a chair holding Tonton. 'I really wish you wouldn't eat with your mouth open.' She thought, sending Tsunade a disapproving look, but for today she'd let Tsunade do as she pleased for the most part.

"Sorry." Sakura looked at her happily, and bowed. "You wanted to see me?" She wondered, sending a smile towards Shizune. 'Maybe I was wrong after all. Today is looking better already.'

Tsunade set her chopsticks down. "I did." She stated, studying her students appearance. She looked healthy enough, not to mention flushed with exuberance. She'd been worried about the girl, wondering how she was holding up after the invasion of pain. Although Tsunade had been as strict, and explicit in Sakura's training as possible, she knew as well as anyone, learning the skills to handle highly stressful takes was easier said than done.

"Well?" Sakura arched a brow teasingly. Tsunade liked to appear tough on the outside. There was little to no chance she'd admit she'd just been worried. But that was fine with Sakura; she could see it none the less. "Do I pass?" She asked teasingly.

Tsunade smirked. "Cheeky little thing, aren't we?" Her hands grasped another bowl, as she moved her legs to the side. "Sit down." She left no room for argument.

"I learned it from the best." Sakura replied, with a laugh before taking a seat at the edge of the bed. Times like these were when Sakura felt most at peace; her and the pieces of her makeshift family.

"You can say that again." Tsunade mumbled, over her bites. She wanted to regain her Chakra as soon as possible. "Shizune says you've been doing most of the work with re-organizing the hospital…said you did an excellent job." Her voice, though muffled was filled with pride.

Sakura blushed, and sent a disapproving look at Shizune. "She's exaggerating…I just did...What I thought you would have done." She admitted quietly.

A grin spread over Tsunade's face, hidden by the lip of her bowl. The admiration Sakura had for her was more than flattering. One day, Tsunade hoped the girl would see that she would succeed her own teacher's achievements by far. Sakura may have been a slow bloomer, but she was fated to be great. That was something Tsunade would bet on, without fear of losing. "Then you did the right thing." The slug sannin stated, finishing her food in record time. She could give Kakashi a run for his money with the way she was inhaling things.

"Has the rest of the village been informed?" Sakura wondered, her brow wrinkling pensively. She wasn't sure if she could take so many compliments in one day, especially not from her esteemed teacher.

Shizune shook her head. "We just sent an Anbu away a bit ago to inform the council…they should be back soon." It had been about an hour to be exact.

"Ah…have you been caught up to date?" Sakura wondered, if Tsunade knew about the former Daimyo's demise. Judging by the look on the blondes face, she didn't. "Yesterday Kakashi went on a mission, he told me there was an attack on the capital, and most of the nobility was killed off…the old Daimyo's nephew has taken his place." She explained waving her hand.

Tsunade frowned, setting her bowl aside. "We just can't catch a break." She sighed, first Konohagakure had been attacked, and now there was a chance of losing support from the Daimyo. Not to mention civil unrest.

"It only feels like that." A new voice stated, as the hospital door opened again. "Sorry we took so long." Nara Shikaku stated motioning toward the gold haired man next to him. "We had some things to discuss Tsunade-sama."

"The new Daimyo I assume?" Tsunade mused, studying the young man. 'Mid twenties.' She supposed.

"You'd be correct." Kinmura stated, before introducing himself with a small bow. "Hitono Kinmura." He greeted. "I've heard a lot of good things about you." He stated.

Tsunade smirked. "Well I can't say I'm surprised…I take it this isn't a get well soon visit though." She mused, pressing a finger to the side of her forehead thoughtfully.

"Regretfully not." Kinmura admitted. "There are something's that were discussed and agreed upon at the meeting you need to know…though I think you're decision will be the same as Hatake-sans."

The jovial atmosphere had quickly receded and been replaced by business. Tsunade turned to Sakura. "You're dismissed…take the rest of the day off, and no excuses." She stated. "Shizune told me you'll be living with us for a bit, the key and directions are over there." She motioned towards the counter. "I'll see you tomorrow." Her tone left no room for argument.

"Of course." Sakura stood up and bowed to the rooms occupants politely, grabbing the aforementioned items on her way out. The new Daimyo, was a lot more pleasing to the eye then the old one. She couldn't help but feel curious about what was going on behind the closed doors. 'Looks like Kakashi got out of being Hokage after all.' She grinned, at the distracting thought. He was probably on his knees somewhere thanking the gods.

Now that she had the rest of the day off, she had to figure out what to do with the time, it was only about four in the afternoon now, and she was sure that the news of Tsunade's improved condition was circulating around the village. The only thing that really came to mind, was visiting her mother. Even Haruno Satsuki couldn't ruin her mood at this point, no matter how vile she acted at times. With Tsunade awake, and the village well on its road to being repaired, Sakura was pretty much on cloud nine. It was the perfect day to make a visit.

'If I can find Naruto, I'll be sure to tell him myself about Tsunade-shishou.' She mused, making her way out of the hospital, towards the shabby apartment her mother had moved into when Sakura left the proverbial nest. She paused by the reconstructed Ichiraku, and peered inside, catching sight of the boy in question. "Hey there…" She greeted with a smile, catching his attention.

"Sakura-Chan!" Naruto spun around in his chair to greet her; he flashed her whiskered grin of his own. "Did you come to have Ramen with me?"

Sakura shook her head, and waved her hand at him, her smile still. "No, no…I wanted to let you know, Tsunade-shishou is awake, and doing well."

Teuchi grinned at his favorite customer. "In that case, the Ramen's free today, in honor of the Hokage's good health."

"That's great, dattebayo!" Naruto cried ecstatically, his palms slapping against the counter. "I think I want one of each flavor!" If he didn't have to pay, he was going to gorge himself. "Are sure you don't want some?" Naruto wondered, glancing back at Sakura.

The pink haired girl shook her head. "I've got someone to visit right now, tomorrow maybe." She suggested, giving him a small wave, turning on her heel and vacating the stand. Sakura could vaguely hear Naruto shout that he was holding her to that, until his voice was cut off by something or another. 'Probably ramen.' She thought in amusement, letting her feet lead her to the familiar apartment complex.

Even though it was halfway across the village, the walk seemed like it'd only taken moments for Sakura. She made her way past the doorman, giving a small hello, before making a beeline for the elevator. It was one of the more upscale apartment complexes in Konoha. Sakura was often left wondering where her mother even got the money. After her father died, she'd quit her career as a ninja, and from what Sakura knew, hadn't worked a day since.

Like always, the door was unlocked, as though her mother had been expecting her. "Hello?" Sakura peered into the immaculate apartment. Already the coffee table she'd smashed just the other day, had been repaired.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite daughter, coming to visit her pitiable mother." Satsuki giggled as her speech slurred from her place at the low Kotatsu table. She was drunk, as she usually was. She flicked a few long pale strands of amethyst colored hair out of her face. Sakura's cherry blossom strands had come from Haruno Kozue's side of the family. 'So much like her father.' Satsuki mused, resting her chin on the palm of her hand tiredly. She ignored the dirty look she received from her offspring. 'Both a blessing and a curse.' She thought mournfully.

Sakura couldn't stand seeing her mother drunk, it only brought up painful memories of her childhood. 'And she knows it too…' She shook off the bitter thought, and sat across her mother politely. Her mother's citrine yellow eyes reminded her of a cat's, as they blinked sluggishly.

"Have a drink." Satsuki stated, pouring her daughter a shallow dish of Sake. "I'm sure Tsunade-sama's already got you started." She mused, pouring another for herself. There was nothing wrong with being jealous of the Hokage, who was more of a mother then she was. 'I've got no intention of denying just what a terrible person I am.' She pushed Sakura away, hoping that when she left too, it wouldn't hurt as much as her husband's death had. That was the fate of all Shinobi as far as she was concerned.

The lavender haired woman had already watched the lifestyle consume comrade after comrade, until it eventually ate up her husband too. She had hoped, with all her might Sakura would turn back from that path, but no matter what she did to discourage the girl, she only seemed to become surer of what she wanted. "So what do I owe the visit?" She wondered, lighting a cigarette. She had made a promise to Kozue, that no matter what, she wouldn't just lay down and die no matter how much she might have wanted too.

That didn't stop her from slowly killing herself though. 'It's better this way.' Satsuki mused. 'One less person for me to watch die and one less burden for Sakura to carry.' She wanted more than anything, to depart from this world before her daughter. If she had to watch another loved one die, Satsuki was sure she would not be able to keep her promise to Kozue.

"I had some free time." Sakura stated, sipping the alcohol modestly. She was no stranger to drinking, thanks to Tsunade. "So I came to visit."

Satsuki snorted, and took a hit off her cigarette, blowing smoke in her only child's direction. "How sweet." She drawled, every word driving another wedge between them. It hurt her to do these things.

"You should be happy that I visit at all." Sakura responded evenly, a vein was beginning to pulse in her temple. 'I am not going to break another piece of furniture.' She repeated the mantra in her head. Maybe coming here had been a horrible idea after all.

Satsuki gave her a sardonic smile. "Of course, because I do so enjoy looking at my disgraceful daughter. " Why couldn't she just drop dead? Anything was better than this existence. Her comment seemed to do the trick though; Sakura was on her feet in seconds, and slamming the palms of her hands against the unoffending wood. It splintered away, spilling sake, and ashes everywhere. 'Ah, such an impulsive daughter you have.' She chastised her husband, wherever he was.

"If that's how you feel, then why you just don't lock the doors?" Sakura spat, her eyes glowering in the dim room."Tell the doorman not to permit me entrance, a restraining order, move away somewhere without telling me…anything, anything at all is better than this." She would not cry; she'd spent her whole adolescence crying over the broken bond between mother and daughter. In her mind, Sakura was a woman now, an adult; she would not be reduced to a bubbling teenage girl again.

'Especially not by her.' The cherry blossom seethed. "Every time I walk through that unlocked door, I get my hopes up." Sakura admitted, lowering her eyes to floor. "But someday soon…I won't walk through it again, not unless things change." She was getting so tired of this game. "If you hate me so much, then lock it, so I don't have to feel anymore disappointment." She was biting her lip, trying to hold back the emotion.

Satsuki didn't say anything, she simply stared at the remains of her table.

"If you ever loved you daughter at all, you'd at least do that for her." Her words hung in the air, already; she was making her way out the door. Sakura didn't spare her mother a second glance, as she closed the door behind her. 'Why does it have to be like this?' She wondered, leaning her back against the wood briefly, before departing the building completely. She'd go home, to where Shizune was probably waiting.

On the other side of the door, Satsuki had begun picking up the splintered remains of the kotatsu silently, a fond but sad smile painted on her lips. 'I wish I could.' But she was a horribly selfish person. Even though she didn't want to watch her daughter die, she wanted to see how much she'd grown. Every time she saw her, she was filled with both pride and melancholy.

No matter how much Satsuki told herself, pushing Sakura away completely was best for both of them , she couldn't wipe away the desire to see her face completely. Even if that face was filled with hatred towards her, those moments were things she treasured deeply.

With a heavy sigh, the lavender haired women tilted her head to the side, catching the eyes of her husband's picture. They were green, and filled with high spirits for life. How disappointed that man would be in her if he saw her now. 'But you then, you don't know what it's like, to lose the most important thing in your life.' She thought miserably, tears sliding down her face. 'You're the one who left me to do this all alone.'

She felt more exhausted then she'd ever felt in her life. With another sigh, Satsuki sunk onto the floor, and curled up into herself. It was what she was best at after all. She had a strange feeling creeping up her spine. 'Perhaps it's Kozue coming back to haunt me for hiding things from his daughter!" she gave a bitter laugh, before closing her eyes, and slipping off to sleep.

If Satsuki known that all the way across town, those very secrets were being uncovered, she would not have slept so serenely.  
Kakashi had been staring at the scroll for the past fifteen minutes. After fainting… 'No blacking out.' He corrected himself; He'd been out most of the day due to exhaustion.

It wasn't a genjutsu, not matter how much he wished it was.

That once elegant scroll now looked like a viper waiting to strike him. The words inside of it were innocent enough, promising two children from separate clans to be married. It wasn't that out of the ordinary in a Shinobi's life style, especially if you came from the Hyuuga, or the one prospering Uchiha clan.

What was out of the ordinary however was that Kakashi was one of those children, and the other, if his math was correct, and he was pretty damn sure it was; was Haruno Sakura.

"That sly old man." Kakashi laughed slightly, somehow able to find humor in the situation. No wonder his father had looked so surprised when he heard Sakura's name. He was not a superstitious or overly religious person, but Kakashi did indeed believe that there was something beyond life. What, he didn't exactly know, but it was painfully obvious that he'd been right, after the fact had hit him in the face in the form of a scroll.

How else could you explain the conversation with his dead father? And then his little discovery after following the directions, the same dead man had given him. It could not be considered a fluke, in his mind.

Kakashi's eyes, still uncovered from earlier roved over the scroll again, taking in the words once more. He could see his father's name scrawled across the right hand side; he had horrible hand writing, just like Kakashi. Underneath the Kanji was a streak of blood, undoubtedly his fathers, from what Pakkun had said.

Said dog, was sitting on the couch beside him, watching his masters face thoughtfully.

Kakashi's eyes took in the left hand side of the scroll; it was the exact opposite of his father's writing, perfected over years of meticulously practiced calligraphy. 'Haruno Kozue.' That was the offending name. He knew it to be Sakura's father, but couldn't place a name to the face. How had his father known him? For the life of him, he couldn't remember. The name did sound strikingly familiar though.

Pakkun had also already confirmed the similarities in that streak of blood, to Sakura's own.

"So, what are you going to do?" Pakkun wondered, rubbing a paw against his nose. He had a feeling, he knew the answer.

That was the question indeed.

He could physically burn the scroll; pretend he'd never opened it. Kakashi couldn't morally do it though. How many times had he shunned his father in his youth, for doing the right thing? His own anger at his father had inevitably played a part in the man's spiral into depression. He'd scorned the older man's name, and face ignorantly for years, without understanding the truth behind Sakumo's actions.

Kakashi had long since shed those feelings. He understood it all now, but the sins he had committed against his father in the past couldn't be washed away. 'This scroll is truly his last request.' He admitted, the very least he could do, was try. Maybe then, the guilt he felt towards his past actions would be lessened.

In the end, it was not in his hands, it all rested in Sakura's.

"I take it you've come to a decision." Pakkun stated knowingly, he knew Kakashi better than anyone, and rightfully so, after being with the man from a young age.

Kakashi smiled slightly, his mask had been tugged down early, giving the pug a clear view. "You already knew what I would choose to do."

"Never hurts to reaffirm." The dog stated, resting his head against Kakashi's thigh. "It'll be nice having a mistress. Sakura's a good girl." Pakkun stated. He'd met some of Kakashi's other ladies…they didn't take well to being called bitches. He'd have to watch out for that word concerning Sakura, she tended to overreact.

"Don't get your hopes up." Kakashi stated, patting the animal on the head fondly. He was half hoping she'd refuse. 'Tomorrow, I'll speak to Tsunade.' He mused, she was had been in the village around the time the scroll had been signed, and she had been an acquaintance of his fathers. If someone knew something it was her. 'That and I need someone to break the news to Sakura.' He really did not want to be the instigator for whatever her reaction would be; though the odds were, it would be very violent.

With a heavy sigh, Kakashi leaned his head back against the couch, soaking in the little comfort that Pakkun's presence provided.

Life really was a bitch.

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*Jaw drops* the reviews in response to last chapter, were phenomenal. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint! I know I said it in a few reviews, but I've got to say it again. I NEVER expected this story to be so popular…I was like, meh, it'll get one or two reviews, and I'll be able to get by with slow, so very slow updates. But somehow it evolved into something more *sighs* It makes me happy, and worried all at the same time. With so many people reading, I now really have to worry about making mistakes. I guess it's a small price to pay, right?

In the end, I've become a bit fanatical about this story myself. I spend a lot of time thinking, planning and making notes.  
I love Tsunade and Sakura bonding, and I hope I portrayed their relationship well. Tsunade really seems to collect children doesn't she? *laughs* Speaking of mothers…Is it odd, that as horrible as Satsuki is, I have a fondness for her? *Blinks* maybe it's because I'm the author.

In any case, in response to someone asking me, yes, the bird that hit the kitchen window did survive O.o? And continued to hit the window a few more times throughout the day. After that I have no idea what happened to it. In closing, Tsuki finally got some artwork for TBAN done, or rather a sketch .O Take a peek and tell me what you think?http : // tsukikohoshino. deviantart. com/ art /Distant-Longing-Kakashi-161701057 She also created a live journal account, so she could ramble on about TBAN (Yes, it's gotten that bad.) http : // tsuki-hoshino . livejournal . com

Tsuki: Poor Poor Kakashi got suckered by his daddy! In the next exciting installment of to build a nest, we discover the bonds between two fathers! What will be Sakura's reaction? What will Tsunade have to say?! *Pulls at her hair* When will I get a life?!  
Sai: By my predictions, never. *Smiles*  
Tsuki: Would you like to know a super special jutsu? *Eye twitches.*  
Sai: Super special? Why of course, what is it? *Tilts head*  
Tsuki: STFU No justu.


	6. The Webs That They Wove

Disclaimer:  
Naruto: If you think Tsuki-chan owns me, you must be delusional. If she did, Err...lets just not go there, Dattebayo!

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**To Build a Nest**  
**By Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

Tsunade had just been innocently sitting in her hospital bed, downing another bowl of god knows what. Right now, she hardly had time to taste anything she ate. Her only priority was rebuilding her chakra. 'That sly little bastard…' She mused, thinking back on the Daimyo's words from the day before. The man _should_ have been a ninja, he had them between a rock and a hard place, and all it took were a few little words.

Though, she could not deny, the up's of the agreement outweighed the downs; for Konohagakure at least. There would be plenty of people with their panties in a bunch outside of the village. 'Like say, the snuffed council.' She mused. The seats of the Hi no Kuni council was passed from parent to child, so even though the council had perished in the attack on the capital, their children remained.

Kinmura's changes to the way Hi No Kuni was run were small really. He wanted to disband the current council, and elect delegates from different regions of the country; people who like him, desired for the prosperity of the people, and by proxy the country. The man already had such a council picked out.

The former council was sure to throw a fit, perhaps even attempt a little coup, not that the shinobi of Konohagakure couldn't put that to rest quickly. That was the driving force behind his offer. There were people in the regular militia who would surely side with those would be council members for some reason or another, most would follow the direction of their general out of loyalty; and Kinmura was sure that man's loyalty didn't lie with him.

So, he'd found a way around using the regular military, by using the Shinobi. It helped that they were politically savvy, and were excellent in gaining information that was highly guarded. They were perfect for a place on the council, and while they could be bought for money, they could be bound by a mutual desire to protect. Kinmura wanted to protect the nation, and elevate it, while the Shinobi of Konohagakure wanted to continue with their way of life. They could do that and more now thanks to him.

In all, she couldn't, and wouldn't complain, the Daimyo wasn't out for some alternative goal, and he didn't want to enforce some ridiculous way of life on the people. He was a righteous man, and if things were going to get as bad as Tsunade sometimes feared, he was perfect for the job.

Tsunade let out a sigh, stacking the now empty bowl on top of another. Shizune was out getting more food at the moment, so the room was quiet, all except for her roving thoughts. She was worried, and rightfully so, who had attacked the capital? The Anbu who had reported to her yesterday, had strongly implicated Akatsuki, but he hadn't gotten a good enough look, before his Bunshin's were dispatched. The colors red and black however, were something he had gotten a very good look at.

'If it was the Akatsuki, what are they up to now?' That was the question indeed she mused, as she leaned her head against the palm of her hand. 'I suppose we'll know soon enough.' Tsunade thought. 'The Anbu that were sent by Danzo should be back with any evidence they might have found at the scene soon enough.' So for now, she wouldn't worry about that too much. There were more important matters to attend to at the moment.

Like what the hell was taking Shizune so long? Tsunade shot a dirty look out the window. "How long does it take to find some damned rice?" She wondered to herself, looking through a few papers regarding mission assignments.

The Godaime had no idea, that when Kakashi came in through her hospital window, that all hell was about to break loose. If she had, she probably would have ordered for some popcorn.

"Yo." The silver haired Jōnin greeted, with a raised hand.

Tsunade shot him a glare, seeing him reminded her of yesterday, he should have been there right along with Shikaku and Kinmura explaining things. "Where were you the other day?"

Kakashi laughed nervously, "Aha…well, I'd been up for two days at the time…I was exhausted…Give a poor guy a break?" he asked hopefully, there was no point in making petty excuses with her, not when he wanted things to go smoothly.

"Tch, next time take a soldier pill." Tsunade snapped, tossing a crumpled piece of paper at his forehead she was not about to go easy on him, someone like Kakashi could go more than two days with no sleep if need be. It hit, but bounced away harmlessly. It didn't give her any satisfaction; he didn't even blink at it. "What do you want?" She huffed, leaning back into her pillows, her brown eyes watching him like a hawk.

Wordlessly, Kakashi handed the scroll over to her, before reclining against the way across from her. "I was hoping you could tell me about that." He motioned towards it apathetically, his free hand automatically bringing up his Icha Icha shield.

Tsunade arches a brow, her nimble fingers unrolling the scarlet scroll. Her eyes roved over it slowly. For a few moments there was absolute silence, before she burst into raucous laughter. "Somehow I'm not surprised." She mused wiping a few stray tears away. "You just found this?" She arched a brow at Kakashi.

He didn't look to thrilled with her laughing at his predicament.

"It was in the bank…until now I haven't really wanted to deal with those things." Kakashi admitted guiltily. First he'd been to bitter, and then too ashamed and unworthy. "They must have known each other well by your reaction…but…" He trailed off, looking towards Tsunade hopefully, as if to prompt her to fill in the blanks.

Unfortunately, Tsunade simply shook her head. "I don't know what happened regarding this scroll, or anything that happened after I left the village. What I can tell you is that Haruno Kozue and your father were good friends. They grew up together if I remember correctly." She pressed a finger against her chin in thought.

She wasn't as upset as she should have been, but she had to look at the facts outside of Sakura being her student, and as precious as the girl was to her, she could see the benefits of such an arrangement. Their parents had been outstanding shinobi, and in suit, Kakashi had been a prodigy, and he was still a genius. Sakura's wit was ranked only a point below Shikamaru's, her Chakra control was almost beyond compare; any children those two had, their abilities alone were a fearsome thought.

Tsunade could just see Jiraiya rolling in his grave with laughter. 'He would have had a field day with this.' She heaved a small sigh, before shaking her thoughts away for the moment. The fact of the matter was Kakashi intended to go through with the scrolls dictation, if he didn't, then he wouldn't have brought it to her.

"Judging by the fact, Sakura isn't here pitching a fit; I guess you came to me first." Tsunade grinned wolfishly, taking in the way he looked off to the side in an almost guilty fashion. "Wanting to use your poor invalid Hokage as a buffer I see." Not that she could blame him, if Sakura's temper was even a fraction of hers; and it was. He would be in for one hell of a rough ride going through with it on his own.

Kakashi lowered the book, and smiled at her, as per usual when being accused with the truth. "Can you blame me?"

"No." Tsunade admitted closing her eyes briefly. "Tch…but you owe me." It meant her peaceful morning was ruined after all. She didn't know what she'd request from him in return, not yet at least.

Kakashi just smiled, anything was better than being the subject of Sakura's wrath. "Understood." He stated, looking up when Shizune stumbled into the room, a large brown paper bag tucked into her arms.

The black haired assistant blinked and flashed him a polite smile before turning to her master. "Sorry it took so long, I had to wait until they opened." She explained setting the bag down on a table to pick Tonton up.

"That's fine." Tsunade waved her hand. "I have another errand for you to run, and be hasty about it, alright?" She wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible.

Shizune nodded her head quickly, her grip on the pig tightening slightly. 'This sounds serious…'

Tsunade rummaged around inside the brown bag, pulling a Chinese carton out and opening it up. "Go fetch me Sakura, and after that, I want you to go to Haruno Satsuki, and bring her here, tell her we found a certain little scroll." She stated, narrowing her eyes. "If that doesn't work, use force."

"Y-yes!" Shizune nodded her head quickly. 'What's going on?' She wondered, sparing on last glance towards the rooms occupants, before fleeing.

The hospital room lapsed into silence. To Kakashi it felt a bit like the calm before the storm. He heaved a slight sigh, before leaning the back of his head against the wall behind him. 'You sly dog.' He mused, thinking of his father's face once again 'Ugh...How did I not become suspicious when I saw that?' he remembered that smile from his youth; it had been the forbearer of many a prank, or tall story. It felt like Kakashi was forgetting something important, but he couldn't place it. 'Whatever it is, I have a feeling I'll know soon enough.'

Completely oblivious to the turmoil about to befall her life, Sakura was sitting down to breakfast, innocently minding her own business. 'Whew.' She looked out the kitchen window thoughtfully. The place Shizune had procured for the time being was spacious, and upscale compared to Sakura's old place; which hadn't been half bad either. 'I could get used to this.' She grinned to herself, taking a bite of her eggs.

Life wasn't so bad after all.

"Sa-Sakura-Chan!" Shizune's voice startled the pink haired girl, She'd slammed the apartment door open with such force, Sakura was sure it'd left a dent.

"Wuh?" Sakura looked at her with wide green eyes, her mouth full of fluffy scrambled eggs. 'Cant a girl eat breakfast in peace?!' she just wanted one decent unspoiled meal for god's sake.

Shizune huffed slightly, as Tonton oinked in her arms. While Sakura wasn't as fluent as Shizune or Tsunade were in pig-speech, she vaguely heard something about dogs and snails, or was it slugs? Sakura wasn't really sure.

"Ah, Tsunade-sama wants to see you in her offi-hospital room immediately!" Shizune cried, shaking her head as she fixed her mistake quickly, she was so used to all business being done in Hokage tower she'd forgotten for a moment,

Sakura stood up quickly, knocking her chair over. "R-right!" She stated, righting the chair, and picking her leather gloves off up the counter. It sounded like business. She hopped it involved punching something; she was in that sort of mood today. "Let's go." She gave Shizune a confident smile, only to be let down.

"You'll have to go on your own." Shizune smiled apologetically. "I have another person to retrieve." She stated, disappearing with Tonton to collect the rest of her quarry.

Sakura frowned, before shaking her head, and opening patio windows. Jumping would cut down time. With that; she leapt from the metal banister, landing on the roof of a nearby house. 'Damn I love being a ninja.' She thought with a feral grin. If she had any idea what was awaiting her in Tsunade's hospital room, she would not have been in such a hurry.

It took her less than ten minutes, to come barging through Tsunade's hospital window in a very Kakashi-esque manner.

"Doesn't anyone use a door these days?" Tsunade remarked dryly, taking in Sakura's appearance. 'Ready and rearing to go.' She thought fondly.

Sakura smiled apologetically, and gave a small bow. "I was in a hurry." She looked at Kakashi quizzically for a moment. 'I think I get what Tonton meant earlier.' The dog and Slug had really been Kakashi and Tsunade. 'well, it's nice to know I'm getting better at it.' She mused, before looking in-between the two higher ranking individuals "Where's the rest of the team?" She blinked.

"You're not here for a mission." Tsunade stated, rubbing her forehead for a moment. "Or anything like that really…a small matter has been brought to my attention." She leaned against her pillows and crossed her arms. 'Tomorrow I am definitely leaving this place, and anybody who tries to stop me will find themselves in a coma.' She mused.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably, but to any onlookers, it looked as though he was simply readjusting his balance, as Tsunade handed the scroll over to Sakura. 'I really should say something, before it's too late.' He knew he should, but for once, he was really at a loss. There was nothing he could possibly say in his mind, to make her feel any better.

"This is a joke." Sakura stated, laughing slightly. How Kakashi and Tsunade had gotten her father's signature just right, she had no idea. "You know, this is one of the worse pranks I've ever seen."

"It's not a joke…" Kakashi trailed off uncertainly, his single eye watching her apprehensively. That single gray orb taking in even the smallest moves her body involuntarily made.

Sakura's hands were shaking. What was she supposed to say? 'What the hell was he thinking…?' She thought, glaring at her father's name. Quickly, her anger turned to someone else. "You came to Tsunade-sama first!" She accused, pointing a finger at him angrily.

"Maa..." Kakashi waved his hands at her, hoping it would calm her. "I wanted to ask if she knew anything about I-"He was quickly shut up, by having to dodge a punch, instinctively at that. Yep, she was livid.

The pink haired girl growled lowly; oh yes Hatake Kakashi would be the target of her stress; the anger, the uncertainty, the fear. He would have to take it, and like it. Because Sakure didn't hit something, she felt like she'd explode into confetti. With that, she launched herself at him, tackling him to the solid wood floor.

Tsunade really wished she had some popcorn, sure she felt bad for Sakura…but the show she was witnessing right now, wiped all that away. 'That's my girl.' She couldn't hide the grin on her face. Sakura truly was a little beast, one who would kick, punch, claw and bite to get what she wanted if she had too; and that was precisely what Tsunade liked about her.

Kakashi normally wouldn't have gone down in such a fashion, but he let her do it. He couldn't comfort her with words, he didn't know what to say, but a couple punches might put her in a better mood. 'If that's the only thing I can do for her, so be it.' He forced himself to relax; it wasn't an easy job when you were a well oiled killing machine. 'I have a new appreciation for Sai and Naruto being her punching bags.' Kakashi mused, feeling a bit dizzy form the frantic shaking.

The punches never came though, instead, Sakura began shaking him furiously, like a ragdoll. "You're an idiot!" She raged glaring down at him. 'He let me grab hold of him.' She knew it too; there was no way she would be able to lay a finger on him unless he wanted her too. Sakura wanted to be mad at him, but it was impossible when he did something so selfless as basically volunteering himself to be her punching bag. The anger couldn't be placed on him now, so Sakura was left to swallow it.

Kakashi just let her shake him, and let a smug smile cross over his face. 'Worked better then I planned.' He mused, wincing when Sakura abruptly stopped shaking him about, and instead let him go, allowing the back of his head to smack against the floor. "Ow." He looked up at her standing for pathetically.

"That's what you get." Sakura glared at him halfheartedly, opening her mouth to ask another question; she didn't get a chance, Satsuki had just been shoved into the room by Shizune with great effort.

The purple haired woman barely stumbled, showing the lithe grace of a Shinobi as she righted herself. Satsuki glanced at the white box tucked underneath her arm, noting it was fine. "Guess the party started without me." She stated dryly.

"You knew!" Sakura accused, the anger coming back full force; this time thankfully not directed at him, Kakashi noted.

Satsuki nodded her head, sending a scathing look at Kakashi, halfheartedly blaming him for the situation she was in. 'Never could leave things alone even as a toddler.' She almost immediately regretted being so angry at him. 'We were the ones who decided this.' She admitted, opening the box, to pull out a matching scroll. "There were two." She stated, handing it to Sakura. "One for each clan."

Sakura didn't bother opening the scroll, it was the exact same as Kakashi's she could tell. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked bitterly, her fingers tightening angrily around the cylindrical object. No matter what, she wouldn't cry.

"Believe it or not, I did it because I thought it would be best for you." Satsuki stated, looking at the wall beyond Sakura's head. She just couldn't look her in the eyes…not right now. She could hear her daughters scoff, and tilted her head away just in time to avoid being bonked on the head by the tossed scroll.

The last time Sakura could remember her mother doing something remotely kind, was the day she walked through the door after Sasuke left. It was the last time Satsuki held her daughter, saying that things would be fine as her shirt was soaked in tears. That familiarity didn't last long, because soon after Sakura made her decision to apprentice under Tsunade. Like a switch had been turned off, her mother's kindness had receded.

"Save it." Sakura snapped her fists shaking in anger. "Don't you think knowing that I was engaged to my teacher before I was even born would be, oh I don't know…on a need to know basis?!" Without thinking, her fist made contact with a wall, crumbling it and shaking the building.

"Sakura!" Tsunade hissed, she did not want the building ruined. "Reframe from destroying the hospital."

Sakura bit her lip and nodded meekly, she felt effectively chastised. "Yes Tsunade-shishou." Her eyes turned back to look at Satsuki. She never noticed the flash of pain that ran through her mother's eyes; but Kakashi had.

He wondered what the reason was, for the distance between the two. 'Sakura obviously wanted to be close to her, and her mother just now seemed…jealous.' Kakashi placed the word after a moment of thought.

Satsuki heaved a sigh, and rummaged through the box again. "You two know about the relationship between those two." She found the picture she'd been looking for, and held it up for them to see. "Haruno Kozue, and Hatake Sakumo did grow up together." She stated a thoughtful look on her face. "We all did really, those two, Misaki and I." The picture was of a group of four.

Kakashi easily picked out the much younger then he remembered visage of his father. He looked to be in his twenties, and was standing next to a man with vibrant red hair, it was almost magenta colored. The two men were accompanied by what Kakashi knew from pictures to be his mother, and the other was Satsuki herself. The thing that struck him the most though, was how happy they all looked, his brow wrinkled in thought. 'It's hard to forget that hair…I know I've seen that man before, maybe older then in that picture.' Most of Kakashi's memories from his childhood involved training, especially after his father's failed mission; it was all he had done really.

Next to him Sakura studied the people in the photograph for herself, particularly the man she identified as Kakashi's father; she didn't want to look at how happy her mother had been, before Sakura came into the picture and apparently ruined everything. They had the same hair, and eyes. If his face was any indication to go by, then Kakashi had to be good looking underneath his mask.

'This really is not the time to be thinking about that.' She blushed heavily, and turned her eyes away. His mother had been pretty too…so why the mask? The thought would be pestering her for days if she let it. 'Now is not the time.' She told herself once more, focusing on her Mother as she spoke.

"Those two, were the best of friends…more like brothers really." Satsuki stated, looking out the window as she heaved another sigh. "Kozue was analytically brilliant. He could tell you the outcome of something without a moment's hesitation and be right…but he was a total trickster whenever the situation allowed." It was a statement which made her study Sakura thoughtfully. 'To this day, that dual personality is so much like hers.'

Sakura stayed silent, looking at the scroll she'd tossed to the floor, and she suddenly felt absolutely awful…like she'd disrespected their bond by tossing the paper around like she had.

Sakura's mother shook her head before continuing. "Somehow, even though Sakumo was always chiding him; that man always ended up participating in those little schemes." A small smile spread over her face in nostalgia. "Kozue was great at getting what he wanted."

The Hokage certainly remembered those little schemes. 'Pranks really.' She mused; Kozue had been a bit like Naruto, only much smarter. His pranks had always been intricate little webs that ended up involving mass amounts of people.

Vaguely, Kakashi remembered a man with flamboyant hair telling him there were Kappa living in the hot springs of Konohagakure. For about a month, four year old Kakashi refused to even go near them. He was pretty damn sure that was the same man Satsuki was talking about. His father had a good laugh about it when he found the reason out, before saying the next time he saw so and so, he was going to get an ass kicking.

"But, that's all besides the point I suppose." Satsuki said, shaking her head to clear the memories. "When they were little, they made a promise, that one day they really would be real family. They were men of their word you know...When Sakumo told Kozue Misaki was pregnant, and with a boy no less, they were like children in a candy shop, filled with high hopes and dreams." She laughed slightly. "They already had their minds made up about their children getting married…and if they had lived, you could bet they'd be trying to set the two of you up." For a moment, she felt like her old self, back before all the tragedy in her life.

"That may explain how it happened…but why weren't either of us informed?" Sakura wondered a confused look crossing her face, besides her, Kakashi remained impassive as always, hiding whatever he was thinking or feeling behind his mask. 'Like a rock.' She thought glancing away.

The so called rock was in a lot more turmoil then he looked. 'I should remember people who had been so closed to him.' But he didn't, and it made him feel like dirt. 'Lower then dirt.' Kakashi corrected.

Satsuki bit her lip, and looked at the floor. "That can all be traced back to Sakumo's final mission." Kakashi had been five then, and due to an injury Satsuki still hadn't conceived any children. There was no point in telling him anything about the arrangement. 'It was a miracle we had any children at all.' She mused, feeling torment for the way she treated her only child. 'It can't be helped now.' She chided herself.

Kakashi had stiffened slightly at the mention of that ill fated endeavor, and this time Sakura saw it. She placed a hesitant hand on his arm, trying to offer him what little comfort she could. She was rewarded with one of his usual smiles. 'Somehow, instead of me making him feel better, he turned the tables around on me.' She thought, giving him a slight smile of her own. It wasn't fair really.

"Kozue was on that mission with him you know…like I said; he was a genius…not that different from the Nara's these days. He was the one who told Sakumo that if they went through with it, they wouldn't be coming back alive…I don't know the whole story…but to this day I think part of the reason Sakumo turned back was because he was there. He'd already lost his wife two years before; he wasn't going to do the same with his best friend." Her lashes lowered over her eyes in melancholy. "Kozue agreed with the decision though, and with two people ordering the abortion of the mission, the group turned back." Satsuki said, looking at Kakashi for a moment.

The whole affair had been messy. "But somehow, Sakumo ended up taking on all the blame." Satsuki admitted miserably. "Kozue never forgave himself for that."

"I really don't remember him all that well." Kakashi admitted, his memories of them where there, but few and far between. The ones he had were fuzzy at best.

Satsuki nodded her head slightly. "I'm not surprised; you had a tough child hood…" She trailed off. "But if you think about it, we were definitely there. You're father barely left his room, much less the Hatake compound. How did you think you got groceries at the end of the week? Or how your clothes got washed?" she remarked, waving her hand lazily. "You were so busy trying to distance yourself from him; you hardly had time to see much else."

That statement certainly hit home, Kakashi hid a wince, and nodded his head. It was true, whenever needed whatever it was always was waiting for him on the doorstep of their home when he got back from training.

Satsuki smiled, as if she could see right through him. "You didn't get any better after your father's funeral either…Kozue had done his best to pull him out of the depression like he had when Misaki died, but it didn't do any good…That day, you were so mad, when Kozue tried to talk to you about Sakumo, you threw a fit, and screamed…" A lot of hurtful things had been said at that funeral. Some by Kakashi, Others by spiteful people who had attended the funeral to mock the dead man; It had been a miserable rainy day indeed but her husband had tried his best.

The Hokage ate her food quietly, taking in the information and picking it apart thoughtfully.

"For a little while, he decided to stay away…but then you graduated, becoming a chuunin only a year after and were gone from the village to the front lines." Kozue hadn't had a chance, and then when Kakashi came back, he'd been promoted to Jōnin and took on increasingly longer missions, that rank had been quickly followed by Anbu. "And then with like what seemed like only a short time, you were in Anbu." Satsuki said setting the picture back into the box. She was getting close to the end of the story.

"You hung in different circles, without even trying you managed to effectively avoid Kozue…by the time Sakura was four, he'd pretty much lost faith in the promise. He figured there was no point in telling you, you'd find out someday if was meant to be…and then, he died." Satsuki's expression turned sour almost immediately. "And I had hopped Sakura would put aside any foolish idea's of following in his footsteps." But just like the man she'd married, Sakura did what she wanted, and when she wanted to. "So I made the decision never to tell her, there wasn't any point."

The truth was it had been because she didn't want Sakura to wed a ninja, much less be one. She'd hoped that neither of them would ever find out. 'The gods must really love torturing me.'

With that said, Satsuki turned to Tsunade. "Can I go now?" She questioned, like a huffy child. The room felt like it was suffocating her. 'Or maybe that's the look on Sakura's face.' She laughed to herself humorously. Without waiting for an answer, she made her way towards the door. Surely Sakura would say hell no.

"That's all you have to say?" Sakura asked with her mouth agape. "Not, hey I'm sorry for hiding this from you…or making your life awkward as hell?" She could understand never telling her if she'd been assigned a different teacher as a Genin…but the fact that she hadn't told her when she knew who Kakashi was, didn't sit right with her.

Two yellow eyes simply blinked at her sluggishly, as though asking her if she was a total moron. "I can't apologize for anything I did…it would never make anything better." Satsuki admitted, without emotion, as she picked up the box and held it out to Sakura. "These things are yours." She stated simply, making her way towards the door after the box had been numbly taken by the pink haired girl.

"Wait just a second." Tsunade stated, setting her chopsticks down. "Both of them have a decision to make."

Kakashi bent down and retrieved one of the discarded scrolls. This was the moment of dread.

"Ha!" Satsuki scoffed, turning around. "Even I know they'll say no." It wasn't so much to do with their position or age that she said this. It was because Sakura was a girl who dreamed of a marriage filled with love. 'She wouldn't settle for anything less.'

Without a word, Sakura accepted the scroll Kakashi handed to her, as he rolled his own up. "You don't have to do anything you don't want too." Kakashi stated, placing his hands on her shoulders. "They would understand if you said no." She was in love with Sasuke after all, but he didn't want her to feel guilty for denying two old men.

Sakura's pale green eyes looked at the scroll her hand, it was rolled up but she had the words memorized after just one look. 'This, in all reality was his wish for me.' She mused, biting her bottom lip as she thought things over. The man who had taught her the concept of Chakra, the man who when she fell down and scraped herself up, picked her up and made the pain go away. Back then, her mother had been kinder…so much kinder, but like all little girls, he favorite person had been her father.

How could she refuse this wish of his? 'Mom said it herself…they always wanted to be family.' They were dead now though...but the least she could do was try. She was sure; this was the right thing to do, even if she didn't want to. Though she loved Sasuke, it wasn't in the same was as it had been. Ever since meeting him again the first time, the childhood fantasies about him had been shattered. Sakura loved him just like she loved Naruto that would never change. There was no one that was holding her back from this decision, even if it wasn't what she'd always dreamed off, if she had to she would bear it.

Maybe a small part of her uttered the words out of spite towards her mother, but regardless of the reasoning, the words seemed to just fly out of her mouth. "I'll do it." Sakura stated, staring at the floor.

"You don't have to say yes." Kakashi urged her, a frown painting his masked face. Any hope he had last night in regards to getting a solid 'No.' were dashed, when she lifted her head up to look at him. Sakura was unwavering.

"Neither do you." Sakura stated, lifting her head to look in his eye. She knew he was just as bound to the contract as she was, for the same reasons no less.

Kakashi smiled slightly, when he saw the determined look in her eyes. It made him proud and sick all at the same time. He was going to have to have a talk with her alone whenever they got the chance.

Satsuki was left speechless; she hadn't even anticipated the possibility of this happening. "You can't be serious!" This was not how she wanted things to go. 'But then, should I really be all that surprised?' She wondered. Nothing in her life went the way it should.

"They're free to make their own decision on this…you name isn't on the contract, so you can't cancel it…leave it be, it's been a long day for your daughter, don't make the decision any harder than it already was." Tsunade stated, dismissing Satsuki, a warning at the end of her sentence. The woman had no right in her opinion to be judging Sakura's choices when her own were so questionable.

The single mother scowled, hesitating for a moment. "Fine…" on her way out, she stopped, to look into her daughter's green eyes. The anger was gone from them for now, replaced by confidence. "If you really go through with it…you'll regret it, trust me." With that said, she walked out of the room, intent on getting a drink.

For a moment, Sakura blanched at the silence in her head; it was one of those times where she was at a loss for how to proceed with things. Thankfully, she didn't have to come up with anything to say or do; Tsunade did it for her.

"The two of you don't have to rush into anything." Tsunade stated, looking in-between them thoughtfully. "It'd be a very bad idea for the two of you to jump the gun and get married…." She trailed off, when she had said she wanted them to make a decision; she was looking for a commitment from the two of them to try at the very least. "I'm suggesting the two of you get to know one another better, outside of being teammates." Tsunade felt a bit like a relationship counselor. 'Just another talent to add to my generous list I suppose.' So what if she was good at a lot of things and admitted it? Her list of failures was by far longer and she didn't have trouble admitting those on occasions either.

Sakura nodded her head and licked her bottom lip nervously. What had she gotten herself into? She was basically now dating Kakashi, of all people; the masked porn reading, I-have-rock-like-tendencies Kakashi. She'd never even seen his face for god's sake! 'Oh god…things are going to be awkward between us now.' She felt like throwing a hysterical fit...and then throwing up. Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, when Kakashi patted her shoulder affectionately.

"It's going to be fine…" He stated, casting his usual smile at her, because as long as she felt better about the whole thing, he might feel an ounce better himself. Part of him wished he had said no, even if he had to live with the guilt of disregarding his father's wishes one more time, but Sakura had a chance to back down, and she didn't. 'It's as much her fault as mine now.' He mused.

"Promise me, you won't become all distant and broody?" Sakura frowned, that was the last thing she wanted. She watched as Kakashi's silver hair bobbed in motion with his nodding.

Kakashi grinned under his mask, he knew of one way to lighten up the mood. "How can I? We're engaged Sakura." He watched her face tinge in pink, either from embarrassment, or anger. 'Most likely the former.' He mused.

"Idiot!" Sakura attempted to stomp on his foot, but her plans were foiled when he effortlessly moved it away before she could even notice. "Jerk…" She huffed. "Oh, and I expect you to pay at these dates." She stated casting him a sly look. If she was stuck doing this, she might as well get free meals out of it.

Tsunade leaned back against her hospital issued pillows. 'Maybe those idiots were onto something after all.' She was thinking about the two instigators of the whole mess. "You two can go….I wants you to take today off work too Sakura...And if Shizune's out there, tell her to bring me more food."

"Yes Tsunade-shishou." Sakura bowed, her hands still gripping the box. She felt a little better after being reassured by Kakashi that things would be alright. The free day out of work would do her some good.

Rather then poofing out in his usual manner, Kakashi followed after her, whipping his book out along the way. "Err…you can go, do whatever it is you do in your spare time now." Sakura stated, shooing him with a quick motion, as she fumbled with opening a door despite the box in her arms. She really wanted to be alone for a while

Kakashi issued her a smile, and opened the door for her. "Well, since you have a day off, and I'm not scheduled for anything…I figured we could go on our first date." He watched as she almost dropped the box in surprise.

'This might take a lot of getting used to.' Sakura was blushing again, her need to be alone forgotten. "O-oh…I guess that's fine." In all honesty this would be her first date; she didn't count Naruto and the things he liked to refer to as dates. 'He's going to be so disappointed…' She shook her head, and glanced up at Kakashi, feeling a bit meek. "Where do you want to go?" Sakura didn't want to think about how Naruto would react when he found out.

"Mm…why don't we drop that off at you're place, and I'll show you." Kakashi stated motioning towards the box.

"Alright." Sakura eyed him suspiciously for a moment before Shizune caught her attention. The hokage's assistant was speaking to a few of the hospital doctors. "I'll be right back, she shoved the box into his arms, giving him no choice but to fumble and take it before making her way over to chat with Shizune.

Kakashi stood there blinking slowly. 'I guess this is what men who are forced to carry purses feel like.' He mused, frantically racking his brain to see if there were any memories of Sakura carrying a purse. Thankfully there were none, so he felt pretty secure in saying there would be no purse holding in the future. The next order of business, was thinking about where to take her for, ah, lunch. He was pretty sure that was around the right meal time. On his way here, he'd seen a few restaurants back up. Ichiraku was definitely not an option, he wasn't afraid of what anyone else thought about the whole thing…he just didn't want Sakura to be regretting her decision hours after making it.

"Back." Sakura took the box away from him, and smiled. "Let's go." She made her way towards the exit with Kakashi in toe. For the first time, Sakura _really_ wanted a drink, not that it would do her much good.

At the end of the day, even if she did get completely smashed, she'd still wake up betrothed to Hatake Kakashi, the worst part; it was her own damn fault.

* * *

Waah-ah-ahh…This chapter gave me a little trouble for some reason *huffs and chastises It.* In any case, I've had a time-thingy drawn up for all this, so I'll share it with you.

Hatake Misaki: Age 17 when pregnant with Kakashi, Age 20 at death  
Hatake Sakumo: Age 24 when Kakashi was born, age 29 at his death.  
Hatake Kakashi: Age 3 when his mother died, Age, 5-6 when father died, Age 14 when Sakura was born, Age 18 when Kozue died, 30 currently.  
Haruno Kozue: 21 when contract was signed, 35 when Sakura was born, and 39 when he died.  
Haruno Satsuki: Age 18 when the contract was signed, age 32 when Sakura was born, age 36 when Kozue died, and currently age 46.  
Haruno Sakura: Age 16.

I realllly wanted to do a flash back to when Satsuki and the others were younger, but I refrained, because I thought it would make the story a little messy . so I might do it, and post it on my live journal account. Oh goodness *Jaw drops* so many alerts and favorites…I'm so proud… *sniffs* not to mention how nice everyone is in their reviews...You guys really make me want to update faster and faster....Is it totally obvious that I adore Tsunade? It probably is.

Tsuki: Hya! In the next chapter, Kakashi and Sakura go on their first date! What will be discussed, will Sakura see the face of her 'Fiancé'!? *shaking her head frantically as she speaks into the microphone.* Do we even want to know?!  
Sakura: Of course they do!  
Naruto: *mumbling.* I don't, dattebayo. *Is punted out of the author's note by Sakura.*

Apparently, Sakura really wanted to know what happened next.


	7. A Series Of Firsts

Disclaimer:

Kakashi flipped through Icha Icha, before glancing up. "Of Tsuki owned Naruto, I'd be screwed…in more ways than one." He smiled. "It doesn't sound half bad in that respect." He was a pervert through and through.

* * *

**To Build A Nest**  
**By: Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

The trek back to Sakura's new apartment was a short and quiet one. What was there to say?

Kakashi was pretty sure he was taking the situation a lot better than she was. Scratch that, he knew he was. When you lived as long as he had, and seen and done the things he had, you weren't really fazed by small things like being forced into marriage. There were a lot worse things to be forced into.

Not only that, but he hadn't really been forced into saying yes. It wasn't that he had never wanted to get married or have children, it was just he'd never really met a person worth the effort an actual relationship required. Oh sure, he'd had One night stands, occasionally a month or two of on and off dating…that was pretty much the longest he could remember having a romantic relationship with someone; that was if sex counted as a romantic relationship.

It didn't, which he knew very well.

But, he'd never really felt the thing called _love, _the real romantic type of love. Sure, Kakashi loved people, he wasn't emotionless despite what people thought, he just happened to hide it better than most people did. From experience, showing people just how you felt about them, usually led to them sticking their nose in where it didn't belong, and Kakashi liked his privacy. In any case, he certainly did feel bad for Sakura though. She'd probably dreamed of settling down with the man of her dreams, waking up every morning, happy and blissfully floating on cloud nine, as she prepared breakfast for her adorable little children.

'Probably sharingan eyed children.' Kakashi thought, if they went by her fantasies. He wasn't exactly a pessimist, and as much as he wanted her, and all his students to be happy, he was pretty sure Sasuke was asexual. Hell, even when he was Sasuke's age the last time he saw him, and all emotionally constipated, he was secretly looking at girls. A boy is still a boy after all. Not only that, but Sasuke didn't deserve her, in his_ humble_ opinion. Uchiha Sasuke was only going to bring Sakura pain, and he could see it coming miles away; without the sharingan. 'Well, I guess that's one good point in this mess.' He mused dryly, watching as Sakura unlocked her apartment door. Kakashi didn't have to worry about other men making her miserable.

Nope, that was pretty much his job now. 'We should really go over some ground rules, about this whole thing.' Kakashi mused, putting Icha Icha away for a bit.

Really, it was almost a shame how nice her apartment was compared to his. 'Ah well, that's what you get for being cheap.' Kakashi chastised himself, as he studied the barely furnished household. There was no couch, and there was no coffee table, or any entertainment to be seen in the living room. It was empty. 'That's one point for my apartment.' He thought with satisfaction. At least he had a couch to sit on, rickety as it was.

"Sorry." Sakura stated, offering him a weak smile. "It was an impromptu move, and you know, with the attack and all, finding furniture isn't going to be easy." She was lucky Shizune had scrounged up a few traditional futons and a kitchen table. 'Ugh! So embarrassing…' After all, she'd been riding him about his accommodations just a few days ago, had it really been that long? It felt like just yesterday.

"It's fine." Kakashi smiled waving his hand as she set the box on the floor; he wondered just what else was inside of it. "Aren't you going to open it?" He arched a brow at her when she turned away from it in disinterest.

Sakura looked at the box wearily. "I don't think I can handle any more surprises today." It was embarrassing, but she was absolutely terrified of the box, or rather what was in it. She really hoped he didn't notice her new phobia.

Unfortunately, with the way she was eyeing it; which was like the box was going to grow sharp teeth and bite her leg off at any second; he did notice. "You're scared of a box?" Kakashi arched a brow at her in good humor. "Really now, I would have expected better Sakura." He tutted, wagging a gloved finger at her teasingly. "Especially since I trained you."

"Barely, the only thing I remember you teaching me, was walking up a tree." Sakura wrinkled her nose at him. "It's more like you used me as you're menial labor Genin." Not that she could blame him, hell if Sakura had herself some Genin, they would sure as hell be washing dishes, and taking out the trash…along with all those other nasty chores she hated doing.

Kakashi pouted from behind his mask. "Maa…I taught you the most important lesson of all…the value of teamwork." Didn't that count for something? It was a slightly sore subject for him to have the fact he'd been a bit neglectful towards his other students, especially when one of them was rubbing it in his face 'A lot of good favoring Sasuke did too.' He mused.

As if she sensed the lurking guilt, Sakura's eyes softened, and she smiled at him. "Yea, you did." She admitted. It was a lesson she would take with her to the grave too. "You don't have to feel bad you know, back then, I wasn't interested in training." She admitted, shaking her head. There had been a time, after Sasuke left, that she'd felt a sliver of bitterness. It had been quickly swiped away by Tsunade's rigorous training, in which Sakura realized just how behind she was. "And I'm not scared of a box; I'm scared of what's_ in_ the box." She corrected hastily.

It was strange, how she was able to read him like that and see the guilt, despite the many masks he wore. "You don't have to be." Kakashi cast Sakura a smile, and motioned toward the box. "It's better to do it fast and quick, like a Band-Aid." He explained at her doubtful look.

You really couldn't argue with Kakashi's brand of logic; He wouldn't let you. So with a heavy sigh, Sakura pulled the lid off the box, and peered inside. "It's just a few pictures, some scrolls, and uh…" She pulled a piece of folded white cloth out of the box, and unfolded it. "This." She stated simply, it was a white with red triangles lining the hem and sleeve bottoms. Sakura glanced over at Kakashi curiously, when he fingered the happi coat in her hands.

"Ah, you wouldn't know what this is." Kakashi mused, rubbing the back of his neck instinctively. That coat, which had once been so well known throughout Konoha, if not the whole Shinobi community, had slipped into anonymity.

"Just like the Haruno, and all the clans in Konoha, the Hatake have a family crest…something that's unique to them." Kakashi hadn't seen it since it since he moved out of the Hatake house, instead he'd used the Henohenomoheji symbol; it had been his way of further breaking away from his father. "That coat you're holding is one of them." Where his father's had been black and white, and where his own in his child hood had been white and grey, Sakura's was a vibrant red and white.

Sakumo and Kozue if his reportedly mischievous nature were anything to go by probably had something to do with it. They really were adept at thinking ahead…very far ahead.

Red really suited Sakura better than any other color. It was fiery, and passionate, it was the color of many things, courage and life included; and she wore those colors well. How many other women did he know, that would put their happiness on the line to fulfill a contract signed by two dead men? Not many, Kakashi imagined; the only girls he could say he knew well, in a non-sexual manner were Anko, and Kurenai.

Sakura heaved a sigh before passing him a smile. "You actually just told me something about yourself." She sounded like she was congratulating him on a job well done. Kakashi hardly, if ever offered up information about himself, it was a personal triumph for her to learn something like that, no matter how small it was.

Kakashi didn't seem to think so, because he fixed her with a very exasperated eye. "I've told you plenty of things about myself."

"Oh yes, and I quote; I have many hobbies, none of which I want to tell you, and my dreams, aren't any of your business." Sakura was pretty sure that was along the lines of what he'd told them when they all first met.

There was a laugh from across from her, that _almost_ startled Sakura enough to squeak…and she did not squeak…anymore. It was a nice laugh…not a creepy little giggle like when he read a particularly good part of Icha Icha; but a low chuckle. Would it be wrong for her to like the way it sounded?

"Nice try…but I think what I said was, I'm the kind of guy who doesn't like talking about his likes and his dislikes, my dreams are none of your business and I have many hobbies, none of which I want to tell you." It was amazing he could remember that far back with all the injuries he'd sustained to the head since then. Hell, if one were to go by that quota, it was amazing that Kakashi even remembered his name. He was however, immensely amused that Sakura bothered to store what he'd said that day to memory.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What's the difference? You didn't tell us anything." She delicately folded the coat up, and placed it back into the box. Despite its simplicity, it really was pretty. She really didn't want it getting damaged.

"The difference is if you're going to quote someone as awesome as me, you should have the words right." Kakashi smirked from behind his mask, as he turned towards the door. "And I told you I was a very private person, in a tactful way." He motioned for her to follow him; hunger was starting to get at him.

"Ha! You know, if someone heard that, they'd start thinking you were a little full of yourself..." Sakura grinned at his back. 'Not that he doesn't have every reason to be, I mean he his talented.'

Was it weird, that she felt comfortable, despite the fact she'd basically been married off to her old teacher before she was born? Probably. 'But anything is better than feeling awkward and unsure.' Sakura told herself.

Things probably wouldn't stay so comfy for long. So she figured it would be a very good idea to make the best of it while it lasted.

"I'm not full of myself." Kakashi wrinkled his nose, as he walked down the steps of her apartment building. "I'm confident." With good reason, was it so wrong to know you were good at what you did? 'Nah.' He shrugged the idea off.

Sakura hummed at him as it to say; "If you say so" instead of asking where they were going, she let her mind wander for a few moments. 'I really need to talk with Ino.' God, the blond was going to throw a fit…Sakura could just see it now. 'What?!' Her mental voice cried, mimicking the Yamanaka. 'You're dating you're sensei?!'

Oh the _fun_ that would be had with that conversation. It would make her feel better though, to talk to someone her own age…who hopefully would be just as shocked as she had been. 'I mean, I can just imagine her face…'She almost wanted to laugh, as imaginary-Ino flubbed around like a fish on the floor having a seizure. Sakura was quickly startled out of her thoughts, when she bumped into a rather firm wall. "Eh?" She looked up realizing the wall was his back.

Kakashi glanced back at her, his one eye clearly conveying amusement. "Anno…a Ninja should always be aware of their surroundings." He pointed out. "Otherwise next time it might not be my back you run into…but a tree…and trust me, those are far less forgiving then I am." That was spoken out of experience.

"Right." Sakura could feel the blood rising to her face; really, she should just be stabbed with a kunai, before she embarrassed herself anymore. Could this day get any worse?

It could and as usual, it did. "Well this is it." Kakashi pointed to the convenience store in front of them. He honestly would have taken her somewhere nicer…but he hadn't picked up his pay check, and prepackaged onigiri, and a few drinks were all he could afford.

"You're joking." Sakura looked like she'd just had a bucket of cold water poured over her.

Kakashi laughed, and scratched the side of his cheek sheepishly. "I haven't picked up my pay check yet…and it's better then rations, right?" He arched a brow.

Sakura was beginning to understand just why she'd never really seen Kakashi around with members of the opposite; he sucked. 'But he has a point in regards to rations.' She shuddered in memory. "Fine fine…" She waved him away as she effectively ignored the smile he flashed her way, as she flopped down to sit on the curb. It seemed like the actuality of what she agreed to had finally caught up with her. What had she been thinking? This was bad.

'Very bad.' Sakura gulped slightly, fighting off a panic attack. Sure, she didn't have anyone special she wanted to be with at the moment…but still, what if she ended up liking someone in the future, but couldn't be with them because of a decision she made? 'My life, the living soap opera.' She shuddered. It really did seem it was accumulating into that.

Thankfully, she was saved from lamenting her horrible life, by something ice cold pressing against the back of her neck. "Gah!" Sakura shrieked, jerking away as she twisted around to see Kakashi smiling at her innocently. He was holding out a bottle of iced tea to her. "You're really off your game today." He pointed out cheerfully, as he sat next to her.

"But it's understandable." Kakashi admitted on an afterthought. Just because he wasn't necessarily affected by their situation, didn't mean he should expect the same thing from her…

"How can you act so composed?"Sakura moaned to herself, as she took the beverage and uncapped it; she hadn't meant to say that out loud. He didn't need to know she'd had a slip of the tongue though.

Kakashi shrugged, and sipped his water through his mask. "I never thought one way or another about getting married." He stated, handing her a package of onigiri. "When you've seen and done the things I have, this sort of thing doesn't shock you so much." He smiled at her sheepishly. "But Sakura, if you didn't want to do this, you should have said so…you can say no at any time." He murmured.

"I know…" Sakura sipped her cold drink, before setting it aside, as she looked at him seriously. "You know the same goes for you…why didn't you say no to begin with?" She wondered. Kakashi wasn't the type to do something he had no desire to do…he was the type of person to give you some lame excuse, before turning tail just to get out of it.

That was a good and very private question to ask. 'Why indeed.' Kakashi heaved a sigh. "Sakura…do you want to know why I wear this mask?" He glanced up from the dirt road in front of them to look at her face. 'It won't hurt to answer her, after all, _dating_ calls for emotional bonding, didn't it?' Vaguely, Kakashi realized he sounded like Sai.

Though, the flip side to that was unlike the emotionally stunted artist, Kakashi did indeed find Sakura attractive, which he had to grudgingly admit to himself. Thankfully, It was a recent development, sure he was a pervert, but he certainly was not _that _kind of pervert. 'I really can't help it, that she's witty and charming, now can i?' That was all her fault, and if she didn't like the fact that he found those qualities rather…appealing. It really wasn't his problem.

Or that's what he was telling himself.

"Besides the rumors about what's under the mask?" Sakura blinked and paused in un-wrapping her onigiri, she had no idea she'd startled him out of his thoughts. "No." She admitted, her tongue swiping over her pale pink lips slowly.

Kakashi really wished she hadn't done that, at the exact point in time he'd been thinking about her attributes. It made things…complicated.

'Convenience store food never looked so good.' She sighed wistfully, and took a bite of the rice ball. Sure, Sakura had idea's as to what was under the mask…everyone did. Her own personal list included, warts, scars, and fish lips. 'Because really, if there isn't something wrong, why cover your face?' She mused.

"Ah…" That was as close to 'Huh?' As Kakashi was going to get as he wracked his brain trying to remember what they'd been talking about a few moments before.

Apparently, Sakura wasn't the only one off her game today.

'Mm…, that's right.' He snapped his fingers together in recognition, earning an odd look from his companion. "The reason why I started wearing a mask was because of my father…you already heard that his last mission ended his career, my father, turned back because he didn't want to see his comrades die.…When he came back from it, he was shunned by the majority of the village, even the people whose lives he'd saved." Kakashi explained, tearing his eyes away from her in shame for what he was about to tell her.

He couldn't remember ever talking to someone about this before. Not ever. "Even though I was considered a prodigy back then…I was still just a child and highly impressionable." Kakashi admitted, his lone eye conveying his humiliation. "When everyone else turned their back on him, so did I. I hated that I looked so much like him…and I was determined to do things differently than him…it only got worse after he committed suicide." His voice was filled with self-loathing for what he had been in the past.

Sakura had lowered the Onigiri, and set it away, her hunger abated at the moment. This was the most he'd ever opened up to her before; it came before food hands down.' Is it wrong, that I feel jipped.?' She wondered, knowing the only reason he was probably telling her was because he felt like he had too. She wanted him to want to tell her these sorts of things out of trust. But she would take it like it was, because something was better than nothing.

"When he died, it was as if all their disapproval for him, transferred onto me...after all I was his son, and I looked so much like him it only made sense to them." Kakashi had truly learnt what it felt like to hate, the day of his father's funeral. "So I donned a mask, so I could escape the looks and whispers." And it had worked pretty well, or perhaps it had been how skilled he was, that shut them all up.

Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Those days were behind him, and now Kakashi could care less if he was likened to his father or not.

It was weird for her to see this side of Kakashi, but it was welcome all the same. For once, Sakura felt as though he was just as corporeal as she was. He was no longer the untouchable pinnacle of nonchalance. "What's all this have to do with why you said yes?" She wondered.

Kakashi smiled at her, this time, his eye didn't close in its trademark way. Instead his lone eye was filled with fondness. "Do you remember how I told you, those who don't follow the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades were by far worse?" He scratched the back of his sheepishly. "When I was young, I was the type who chose rules over friends." He admitted, feeling like it just so happened to be, Shame on Kakashi day.

"Seriously?" Sakura arched a brow; she couldn't picture that at all. Kakashi not valuing teamwork...? That was like Gai not wearing green spandex; In other words, Impossible.

There was a slight nod of confirmation, before Kakashi continued. "There was a boy on my Genin team, and eventually my chuunin team the first team I ever led as a Jōnin...He was the Uchiha who donated the sharingan to me, after he saved my life. But more importantly, he taught me the value of teamwork. The day that he died was the day I realized just how horrible I had truly been to my father…he'd done the right thing all along." He sighed.

'I really have been lucky so far.' Sakura mused; she'd yet to really lose someone close to her to death, with the exception of her father. Hearing him speak made her value those precious lives all the more.

"So then, all of a sudden, I wasn't wearing the mask out of anger, but out of shame…in ways, I had contributed to his depression…and I didn't have the right to look like someone as great as him." Kakashi stated, pointing to his mask. "And now, I wear the mask, for two reasons; habit, and because I love driving people crazy with it." He grinned as her sympathetic look, quickly became cross.

It was just like him, to go from deathly serious, to joking in zero seconds. 'Maybe he's bipolar' Sakura mused, the doctor in her suggesting numerous disorders Kakashi supposedly had. "That still doesn't explain anything…" her brows furrowed slightly.

"Mm…it does, you're just not looking hard enough…but since I'm feeling benevolent today, I'll tell you." Kakashi smiled. "I said yes, because I wanted to make up for the sins I committed against my father in the past…all the times I scoffed at his ideals, every time I turned my back on him and our family name…even today, I feel guilty for it." He lamented briefly, his eyes far off.

"You said yes because you loved and respected you're father…I said yes, because I had to make up for all the times I wasn't the son I should have been. For once, I wanted to honor my father." That lone gray eye, glanced over at her, before arching closed. "Or maybe _you_ said yes, because you have a crush on your old sensei?" he suggested humorously, knowing there was a deep red blush sprawling across her face.

Sakura shook her head. "Who could possibly have a crush, on a person whose face they've never even seen?" She remarked offhandedly, fighting the blush down.

"Some girls like enigmatic guys." Kakashi pouted. "Isn't that why you like Sasuke?" It was such a nice way to broach the subject, He congratulated himself.

That comment seemed to catch Sakura off guard; for a few moments she was quiet, before speaking up softly. "I don't know why I liked Sasuke." She admitted.

Past tense, was what screamed out to him. 'That's good.' Kakashi noted, studying her. "You sound like you don't anymore."

"I don't." Sakura blinked up at him. "Not like I used too." She had once worshiped the ground Sasuke walked on, not the smartest thing she'd ever done.

"Oh?" Kakashi arched a brow. "News to me."

Sakura heaved a sigh, and ran a hand through her pink locks. "The day Sasuke pulled his weapon on Naruto right in front of my eyes, was the day the romantic notions of love I had towards him died." She admitted. "He's part of my family, even if he did decide to leave it willingly…and I let Naruto make me a stupid promise, that's caused him a lot of trouble…I have to shoulder my part of the burden now too." She flashed him a smile. "You should know though, that if I loved Sasuke like I used to, I never would have agreed to this arrangement." She pointed out, Sakura would have said no so fast, they'd be suffering whiplash.

'Very well said.' Kakashi mused, feeling a flash of pride, before it was quickly snuffed out. He wasn't the one responsible for the person she was no…all that credit went to Tsunade. "That's a relief, I was a little worried, I was keeping you from becoming Uchiha Sakura." He bit back a laugh as her nose wrinkled up.

"Say…since you told me something so personal, why don't I return the favor?" Sakura suggested, with a grin. He'd been so open, there was no harm in telling him something small.

Kakashi shrugged, as if to say whatever floats your boat.

Sakura nodded. "I hate tomatoes, and I always have." She stated. When she'd been a Genin, she had eaten them nonstop to gain Sasuke's favor, going so far as to pack them in every lunch. It took everything she'd had not to vomit them all back up in those days.

"You're saying, you choked down copious amounts of something you hated, just to please Sasuke?" Kakashi grinned behind his mask. "That's a shame, really." That explained the sour look every time she bit into one.

"It is." Sakura admitted. "Trust me; I am very ashamed of the way I acted back then." She shuddered.

Kakashi smiled, and hooked a finger under the hem of his mask as he began to pull it down slowly. He was starving. "All girls seem to go through that phase…no shame in it." He blinked when Sakura grabbed his wrist hastily.

"What are you doing?!" Sakura's eyes were wide and full of alarm; she'd stopped him as the black cloth perched on the edge of his nose.

"Anno...I was going to eat." Kakashi pouted; surely, she wasn't afraid of seeing his face all of a sudden? Girls really did have a habit of changing their minds, apparently Sakura was no exception. "I thought you wanted to see my face…"

That seemed to strike a cord with her, because Sakura lowered her hand away from his. "I do." She admitted, her toes digging into the dirt. "It's just, I never thought I actually would…and if you show me after telling me all that...it just feels like you're doing it because you feel like you have too." She bit her lips. "And you don't have to do anything." She finished quickly, looking back over at him.

His onigiri was already gone, and Kakashi's face was covered before she'd even gotten a glimpse. "I didn't tell you any of that because I had too, and next time, if I offer to take my mask down, don't stop me. I told you because I wanted too, just like I was about to show you for the same reason." He corrected her with a smile, as he got to his feet.

"You missed you're chance to see it today." He teased, watching her frustrated expression. "Better luck next time." Kakashi stated, as he pulled Sakura to her own feet. "So, how did I do on our first date?" he wondered curiously.

Sakura looked at him thoughtfully. "Hmm…-3 points for taking me to a convenience store and making me eat on the curb of said convenience store." She grinned, as he slumped miserably. "But, plus four points, for being so damn open. That leaves you at one point Kakashi." Sakura was smirking at him.

Damn her smirking was hot. 'No. No.' Kakashi slapped himself on the wrist mentally. They were not going to go there, even _if _it was perfectly natural to feel something for the person you were dating. If Sakura ever found out, she'd probably be disgusted, and then everything would be awkward.

Hell, it already was awkward. There was no need to make it worse, even if watching her blush and stutter was worth it. 'Now, is definitely a good time to go poof.' Kakashi realized, since his thoughts seemed to be getting a wee bit ahead of themselves. "Mm...Guess I'll have to try better next time." He smiled under his mask, before leaning down. "Say…do I get another point, if I give you a good-bye kiss?" He wondered innocently. 'Ah, fuck.' Even Kakashi's mouth was getting ahead of him.

Literally; considering they were already pressed against the corner of her mouth as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

For a few moments, Sakura just stood there alone with the remains of their lunch. 'Did he just…?' Her fingers pressed against the offending spot. Oh yes, Kakashi had just kissed her…with his damn mask on. 'Well it wasn't a real kiss.' She told herself…but it was still the closest thing she'd ever had to one, excluding the kind you got from your family.

It took her a few moments to register what he'd said, but when she did…

'That bastard…' The pink haired girl fumed. "Hell no you don't get extra points!" Sakura shrieked, shaking her fist at the sky angrily. "That was the worst kiss I've ever had!" Sakura tried ignored the looks of people as they passed by, just as well as she tried to ignored the thrumming of her heart.

It wasn't very effective if you were to judge by the red tinting her face as she streaked across Konohagakure, on her way towards the Yamanaka flower shop.

Ino Yamanaka was peacefully dozing at the checkout counter, her sunshine yellow apron standing out against the dark purple of her clothing. If one listened closely, they could hear her mumbling something about a man named Sai, as she drooled a bit in her sleep.

She almost jumped out of her skin, when the front door slammed open, shaking the whole shop. "Gah! Forehead, that's glass you know! You could break it with that he-man strength of yours." Ino quickly wiped the drool away from the corner of her mouth, and made herself presentable.

"That's nice." Sakura stated distractedly, as she toyed with the petals of a few flowers.

This was the forbearer of a juicy secret, as Ino well knew. "Dish it!" The blond squealed happily, almost clamoring over the counter to grab the pink haired girl's arm.

"It's a long story…" Sakura warned her. Well, it really wasn't, considering it all happened in one day, but it sure as hell felt like it had been much more than that.

Ino looked around and snorted, there weren't any customers in sight. "I've got time…Spill! Spill your guts to me now!" She demanded, her voice echoing through the empty shop.

That's just what Sakura did; She was right when she said Ino would freak out. Except there was no flubbing around like a fish, only laughter.

It was disappointing honestly.

"You're engaged to your old sensei!" Ino held her stomach as she laughed, pounding her fists into the counter. "God, you're like a walking soap opera…I should just follow you around with popcorn." She sighed, wiping a few tears away.

"Thanks." Sakura responded dryly, a tick forming on her lower eyelid. "I appreciate your sympathy." Was it so much to ask, that someone feel bad for her?

Ino's pupiless blue eyes softened, if only a fraction. "Sorry…it must be hard." If it had been her, she would have laughed in their faces and walked away. "You must have loved your dad a lot." She mused. 'Not that I don't love mine and all…but I don't think I could marry someone I didn't love for him.' She admitted to herself.

"So where were we?" Ino motioned for Sakura to continue, and she did; until she was interrupted by a customer, just as she was getting to the part where Kakashi kissed her.

"Get out!" Ino shrieked angrily, picking up the register in an attempt to chuck it at the innocent patron. They obviously didn't know not to get between her and a good story. Thankfully, they took the message, and left the shop just as quickly as they entered. "Okay, so then…" she prompted Sakura to finish wherever she'd left off.

Sakura watched with amused eyes, as Ino smoothed back her hair as if she'd never freaked out in the first place. "Then he kissed me, and poofed off." She finished lamely, leaving out how she'd thrown a fit at the sky.

"Whoa, whoa…kissed you where?" Ino arched a brow, her hands on her hips. Ever since Sakura admitted to no longer loving Sasuke like she used to, in private they were a lot closer. They still liked to keep up their competitive nature though; it left them sharp. Though, secretly, Ino would admit she was nowhere near the level Sakura was on, skill wise at least. 'I'm much prettier.' She comforted herself with that tidbit.

"Right here…" Sakura pointed at the corner of her mouth, as Ino snorted.

"Call me when it's a full kiss on the mouth." The blonde yawned, ignoring the glare Sakura fixed her with. "Hey, don't blame me…just because it was your first kiss from a guy, doesn't mean it counts as special." Ino grinned, before heaving a sigh "Damn…I can't believe you're betrothed…To your former teacher no less!." Her laughing quickly switched to a sigh as the glare grew in intensity. "I'd feel almost bad for you; if it weren't for the fact that he's probably dead sexy under that mask…you didn't see under the mask, did you?" She sat a little straighter at the thought.

Sakura shook her head. "No…I refused to see it when he tried to show me." She certainly regretted making that decision.

"Ugh, even with that huge forehead, you're still an idiot." Ino sighed regretfully. "Hey…" She glanced at her watch. "It's about time for me to close up…why don't I stay at your place tonight" She suggested, pulling a few bottles of Sake from the bottom counter. "I stocked up." She grinned impishly. Sakura looked like she could use a good drink too.

Sakura whimpered and looked at the beverages like they were a god send. "For once, I thank god I'm affiliated with you." She smirked at Ino, as they hooked arms, and walked their way across the village towards the apartment complex Sakura now lived in.

The sky was growing dark now, bathed in hue's of red and orange as the sun went down slowly. It was breath taking as always for Sakura to watch it. She hardly paid attention as Ino rambled something.

"Hey, Billboard brow, aren't you listening?" Ino wondered in exasperation, her blue eyes conveying annoyance

"Hm?" Sakura tore her eyes away from the sky.

Ino heaved a melodramatic sigh. "I said, I was reading a magazine earlier today, which said marriages with a fourteen year age gap are more likely to end in divorce." It was ironic considering Sakura's circumstances.

"Great." Sakura let out a sigh. "My Pseudo relationship is already doomed." She stated sarcastically. Statistics were just the majorities, and Sakura liked to beat the odds…not that ending the arrangement with Kakashi would affect her either way.

Really it wouldn't. His kiss wasn't anything special, even if the skin still tingled.

There was no way, she was actually starting to like him, none what so ever. She was just caught up in the aftereffects, that was all.

Sakura shook her head furiously, as she stomped up the steps to her shared apartment and unlocked the door.

"Where have you been?" Tsunade arched a brow, sitting on the olive colored suede couch that she had commandeered. 'Ah, the perks of being a Hokage.' She mused to herself.

Sakura's eyes went wide. "You're out of the hospital!" She stated happily, slipping her shoes off at the door and making her way towards the couch, as Ino gapped at the nice apartment from the doorway.

'Ugh, so lucky.' The blonde whined to herself. She really wished she could move out of her parents home sometimes…but hey, free food, and laundry service had its perks. 'Why do labor when others do it for you?' She mused, slipping her own shoes off before walking in and shutting the door behind her.

Shizune heaved a sigh as she adjusted the bookshelf for what seemed like the thirtieth time today. "She insisted on leaving and coming home…' She explained for Sakura's benefit, eying the alcoholic beverages in Ino's arms. "Did you really have to bring those here?" She really didn't want Tsunade drinking so soon after barely scraping by.

"Sakura's had a hard day." Tsunade chastised her assistant. "It's not every day you get engaged…cut the girl some slack." She smiled at Sakura briefly. "I already told her to save you the trouble, I'm sure you don't mind…" She glanced at the Sake bottles eagerly.

"Its fine." Sakura sighed as she sunk into the incredibly comfy and soft couch.

The poison's specialist smiled at Sakura apologetically. "You do seem to be taking it well…I guess it won't hurt for one night." She relented, leaving the room, and coming back with a few bottles of assorted beverages, most of them being alcoholic. "Don't get used to this." Shizune stated her hands on her hips as she looked at the group assertively.

"We won't." Sakura smiled gratefully, as she took a seat next to Tsunade, her head leaning back against the couch, as the Hokage uncapped a few bottles.

Shizune hummed, and set the cups on the table, one for herself included, for once, she'd join in. It'd been a hard week, and a little down time was just what the doctor ordered.

"Pick your poison Sakura." Tsunade stated.

Sakura hummed. "Anything, anything at all." She stated, sitting up to stare at the bottles. "There's plenty of time to try it all." She stated with small grin.

Spoken like a girl after her own heart, Tsunade mused, pouring some Sake into the shallow dish, before passing the bottle to Sakura so she could fill Ino's. Once the bottle had been passed all around, the four women raised their glasses, shouting "Kanpai!" In unison.

Half way through the first bottle, Shizune retired, leaving the other three ladies to continue their drinking, and at some point after the fourth bottle, Tsunade nodded off to sleep, still feeling the effects of draining herself dry not long ago. Otherwise, she would have drunk them both under the table.

That left a very drunk Ino, and a slightly less drunk Sakura to themselves. Apprenticing under Tsunade had more perks then you could shake a stick at. Including stolen stationary goods…Sakura liked free staplers and pens.

"You know…taking a girl to a convenience store for a first date, much less her first date ever, is really unforgivable." Ino giggled drunkenly, waving her hand, and sloshing the sake in her cup around.

Sakura nodded her head, nursing the cup in her hand, as she hiccupped cutely. "It is, isn't it?" she hardly slurred at all, unlike Ino-pig! How proud would Tsunade be of that…if she were conscious that was. The thought made her giggle as well, as she poked her master in the cheek.

Thank god the woman was so exhausted, or she would have thrown a fit. Thankfully, she just mumbled, and swatted the hand away.

"We should…we should get revenge!" Ino shouted, slamming her cup on the table. "Take a stand for ladies everywhere!" She was a fucking genius, no matter what Shikamaru seemed to think.

Sakura looked at Ino with her mouth hanging open. "That's…that's a great idea!" If she weren't drunk, she never would have agreed to what came out of Ino's mouth next. "How do we do it though?" she looked confused.

"Let's…lets teepee his apartment building." Ino stated, a devilish smile lighting her face.

Drunk Sakura gasped and clapped her hands. Really, the idea sounded brilliant at the time. "Oh…that's a good one…don't forget the eggs." They were on their feet, gathering supplies as they went.

It was really too bad Tsunade was far too tired to stop them, or rather to amused, she did however tell them to buy some more toilet paper as they stumbled their way out the door. Four rolls would not be enough to cover the whole building.

'Tomorrow is sure to be interesting.' The Hokage yawned as she lifted herself off the couch, and made her way towards her bedroom. She'd let Shizune clean the mess up.

The walk, or rather stumble to Kakashi's place was put on hold long enough for them to buy six packs of toilet paper, eight in each one, two cartons of eggs and seal them in scrolls.

The clerk at the convenience store had every right to look at them like psychopaths, not that they noticed. Sakura and Ino were giggling like maniacs as they forked over the cash and went on their merry way.

Really, if Sakura had been sober, she would have beaten the daylight out of Ino, and enjoyed it for suggesting such an idea in the first place. It was juvenile, immature, and yet, decorating that shabby apartment building with long billowing strands of white paper cracked her up.

To bad she forgot in her drunken haze, that Kakashi was a very well trained Shinobi, who was as expected a very light sleeper.

Sakura had been wrong when she likened her life to a soap opera.

It was more like a comedy.

* * *

Yeah, I did just leave you hanging *Winks* mwahaha...I feel evil, but I'm glad to be back doing humor…to much seriousness can be a little tiring, don't you think? Guh, props to Kakashisgf, who gave me the idea for Ino Pointing out the statistics about people who have a 14 year age gap being more likely to divorce then others, Calm Serene, and YummyFoods for pointing out a few of my mistakes last chapter…and finally everyone else out there who reads my crazy little story.

In japan, its considered polite to pour sake for one another, and say Kanpai…which is basically the equivalent to "Cheers" To us.

Gah..its like 2:20 am here right now, so I pretty much did a once over on corrections…I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible, one as a reward…( it really shocks me how many alerts and reviews I get.) And two, I have another paper to write that's going to take a lot more effort than my last one..So I'm not sure how long it will take me. So forgive me if you see some crazy mistakes. *puppy dog eyes*

Anyhow, I wrote a few scenes for Kozue and Sakumo when they were younger and put them on my live journal account, anyone whose interested can follow the link. Don't forget to tell me what you think. (I rhymed!)

http :/ /tsuki- hoshino. livejournal. com/

And as an incentive to get you to go…

Kozue couldn't believe his luck, when he got stuck babysitting 4 year old Kakashi. Both Satsuki and Sakumo were gone on a weeklong mission. 'But he's so…so…' Smart-assed; was the word Kozue was looking for. Don't get the guy wrong, he loved the little punk...but….

Kakashi knew it all, or so he liked to think. He'd even chided Kozue for not eating his vegetables! Of all things…


	8. Word Travels Fast

Tsuki: Waah! *Frantic look* this chapter is dedicated to Calm Serene! Happy birthday…*Cries * I made you a cake, but a few of the Akatsuki stole it.  
Kisame: And it was g_ood_. *licks fingers*  
Deidara: Yeah, it was a bang!  
Tsuki: *Glares at them* Say the disclaimer thieves.  
Deidara: Tsuki owns nothing, not even a penny. *Holds up a shiny penny* She stole this one, which I stole from her, un.  
Kisame: *Snatches the coin.* Correction, the penny she stole, that you stole, that i stole.

* * *

**To Build A Nest**  
**By: Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

Kakashi groaned and rolled over to peer at the neon green numbers on his alarm clock. 'One in the morning.' Whoever was waltzing around on his rooftop, really better have a good reason. With a heavy sigh, he pulled the mask of his undershirt up over his face before creeping to his open window.

"You know, we should have gotten some of that string stuff that comes in a can." Kakashi swore that was Sakura's voice.

'What in hells name is she doing on my roof at this hour?' The copy-nin wondered, crawling out onto his window ledge to see the monstrosity that had befallen his shabby apartment complex; It was covered it toilet paper. 'That would sort of explain it.' He thought, pulling himself onto the roof.

Ino squinted from her place on the ground. She could vaguely make out the form of some creepy stalking shadow-man behind Sakura. "Err…"

"Huh?" Sakura paused in her drunken attempt to juggle eggs.

"Did you really tepee my apartment building?" Kakashi spoke up from behind her, he had to mask the amusement in his voice as he towered Sakura's form. "Isn't that defacing private property?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she whipped around to face him. "I didn't do it!" She shrieked, throwing her arms in the air like a fugitive.

"Then why do you have eggs in your hand, not to mention a hefty supply of toilet paper next to you?" Kakashi wondered, blinking at her lazily.

"Uh…" Sakura began, studying him for a moment. "Is that really what you sleep in?" She wondered, jabbing a finger at his clothes in an attempt to switch the subject. 'Nice arms…' the pink haired girl fawned over the sinewy biceps. It was rather unfortunate in her opinion that Kakashi always walked around covered from head to toe, especially when he had such a nicely toned form.

Kakashi smiled at her. "No, I sleep in the nude sometimes." He studied her blushing face thoughtfully, before leaning forward to sniff her. "Your drunk." He noted clucking his tongue at her. "You're lucky no one called the police on you two."

Sakura coughed slightly, thankful she wasn't drunk enough to blurt out to many embarrassing things. 'Naked...' She sighed wistfully. It figured she'd show up on a night he was clothed. It never once crossed her mind that he'd been joking. 'Wait…did he say police?' Her eyes widened as she looked up at Kakashi in horror.

"P-police!" Sakura couldn't have the police called on her, she was a good girl! "Ino, he's going to call the police!" she shrieked as she tore her eyes away from Kakashi's arms. 'There will be Plenty of time to look at those later; like when we're not about to be arrested.'

'I never said that…' Kakashi thought, before heaving a sigh. There was no use in arguing with a drunk.

Ino was nowhere to be seen, for a drunk she ran surprisingly fast.

"I-Ino…" Sakura's mouth fell open.

"I think you just got ditched." Kakashi mused, his eye crinkling at her.

Sakura simply continued to stare at the spot Ino had last occupied. "Ino, when I get my hands on you…" her fist smacked into the palm of her hand threatening fashion. They would not be having an open casket funeral for the blonde, that much was certain. 'Right now, you're in hot water…flattery gets you everywhere.' She told herself, before giving her former teacher a dazzling smile. "Anno…you wouldn't call the police on your former student, would you?" She batted her eyes.

"Hm…" Kakashi pretended to look rather thoughtful. 'This could be interesting.' After all, he deserved a little revenge for all that lost sleep. "I don't know…I mean, you've made quiet a mess." He motioned towards the surrounding catastrophe.

Sakura shook her head and broke eye contact. "I was framed." She corrected, waving a hand awkwardly. Lying was not her strong point, sober or drunk.

"By whom, that shrub over there?" Kakashi arched a brow in the direction of the plant."It certainly does look like it's plotting something, doesn't it?" He mused, turning to look at his companion; she was now staring at the shrub suspiciously herself. "And how drunk are you?" He frowned and put a finger in front of her nose. "Follow the finger with your eyes." He stated moving the digit left to right slowly.

Sakura laughed, greatly amused by the motion. "I'm not drunk!" As if to foil her statement she stumbled slightly, almost kissing the ground. "Much." She stated quickly.

"Uh-huh." Kakashi remarked dryly, as he heaved her over his shoulder. "I think I know when someone's completely intoxicated….how much did you drink?" someone should really have a discussion with Tsunade about letting her protégé drink unattended.

There was a moment of silence, as Sakura fiddled with her fingers, in an attempt to count. "Mm…five bottles maybe…and did I ever tell you, that you have a really nice a-oh…I think I'm about to be sick…" she blanched slightly. Whatever she'd been about to say was thrown out the window as she covered her mouth.

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly as he stumbled in through his window. "Not on me!" he begged, sprinting to the bathroom and plopping her on the floor in front of the toilet. 'Thank god.' He slouched in relief as Sakura gagged into the toilet. Blood, guts and sweat he could handle, but being vomited on was something he would really like to avoid. "How many times have you been drunk before?" He wondered, patting Sakura on the back comfortingly.

"Mm…" Sakura groaned, and looked back at him tiredly. "Three or four times?" She stated rather pathetically. "I think the first time, was when I finally managed to land a hit on her, she said it was in celebration." That hit had cost Sakura a few broken ribs, but it was worth it. "But you know shishou…she'll drink in celebration to just about anything." Sakura managed to give him a small smile.

"Isn't that the truth?" Kakashi mused, leaving the bathroom before returning with a glass of water. "Here." He handed the glass over to her, and flushed the toilet. "What exactly were the two of you thinking?" He arched a brow as he crouched on his hunches to look her in the eyes.

Sakura took it thankfully and rinsed her mouth out. "It was revenge…and all Ino's idea." She was starting to feel a little guilty, considering he was being so nice.

"On _me_?" Kakashi pointed a finger at himself dumbfounded. "What did_ I_ do?" so he wasn't exactly the best man when it came to dealing with the intricacies of dating. In that respect, he might have been as clueless as Naruto, who had yet to learn taking a woman to _his_ favorite restraint was considered a faux pas to most women.

"You're joking right?" Sakura giggled tipsily. "Who else do I know who lives in this building?" she wondered, before shaking her head. "You took me to a convenience store…on my first date." She shot him a mild dirty look, as she poked him in the nose. 'And then proceeded to take my first kiss.' Sakura gave a wistful sigh. No matter what Ino said, she considered it a kiss; not that she would be admitting that to him anytime soon.

A flash of surprise crossed Kakashi's face; he had no idea that had been her first date. "Ah…" he flashed his usual smile at her. "If I had known that, I certainly would have made it more memorable…" sometimes he wondered why girls couldn't be more like boys. 'But then, they probably wouldn't be as appealing.' He shuddered briefly. They'd probably end up like Anko if that were the case.

"Ah well, I half expected you to disappoint me." Sakura grinned at him wildly, taking in the offended expression on his face. "Just kidding!"

"Mm, it was hilarious." Kakashi responded dryly.

Sakura pouted, and leaned forward slightly. "You're just jealous." She stated knowingly.

"Oh? What Of?" Kakashi arched a brow.

Sakura ran a hand through her wild hair. "The pink hair, bitch." She smirked at him knowingly.

There was a poorly covered choking noise, as Kakashi gapped at her. "Did you just call me a bitch?" He arched a brow in amusement. That was a first.

"No." Sakura looked at him innocently. "I think the one who's drunk is you…I would_ never _say something like that." She placed what she thought was a well aimed poke for his head, and somehow ended up poking his stomach. "Whoops…" She laughed, collapsing onto her side.

Kakashi sighed, and got to his feet. "Alright, I think you should sleep this off…you'd better hope you don't have any work tomorrow morning." She was going to have one hell of a headache.

The mention of work seemed to sober her up, because all the laughing stopped immediately.

Sakura sighed, and pulled herself off the floor by using the wall as a crutch. "I should get home…Shizune will freak if I'm not there when she wakes up." Shizune would probably jump to some crazy half baked conclusion. She arched a brow as Kakashi shook his head and picked her up for the second time. "Hey!" she shrieked, when he walked a few feet, and dropped her on his bed unceremoniously.

There was no way Kakashi was about to let her run around town drunk…especially after she'd decided to prank his apartment building. 'Which just so happens to be full of shinobi.' Kakashi mused, Ino and Sakura were lucky he'd been the first one on the scene. "You'll stay here tonight." He corrected her, stealing a pillow from the other side of the bed, before making his way to the door. "And don't argue with me about the bed." He warned Sakura, casting her a brief smile. "Think of it as payment for me not pressing charges." With that said he flicked the lights out and shut the door behind him.

"Hmph." Sakura pouted, but decided not to argue. Tomorrow she would have a hell of a hangover, so tonight she would just rest. 'Ugh…he really needs to buy a new mattress.' His current one was lumpy as hell and she could feel the springs digging into her back. Really, it was no wonder Kakashi slouched.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, as Sakura rolled onto her side, clinging to the spare pillow left behind. The one thing she could say in defense to his bed, and that was that it smelled nice…it almost made up for the discomfort. 'Note to self; tell Kakashi his furniture is out of date and for health hazards it must be replaced.' Even his couch had multiple patches on it where the upholstery had worn thin and needed to be patched up.

With heavy eyelids, Sakura welcomed sleep, hoping that her headache would be miniscule when the sun was fully up.

In the other room, Kakashi flopped onto his couch, pillow in hand as he pressed it against his face sleepily. Tomorrow was going to be one of those days…especially when you had a rather cranky old man as a landlord. 'That old bat is going to be pounding doors down tomorrow when he sees the mess outside.' Ah well, it really wasn't his problem, he'd just do what he always did; pretend he wasn't home. It usually worked, especially when he was a little short on rent.

'I can't believe she called me a bitch...' Kakashi bit back a chuckle; the idea itself was rather humorous, considering in actuality it was the other way around. Sakura calling him a bitch was a bit like stating she wore the pants in the relationship, if you were to go by what his ninken would say. 'Wouldn't Pakkun have a field day with that?' He mused, shifting to his side as the springs in his couch squeaked in protest.

What ever sleep he did get, felt like very little when he woke to the sound of someone pounding on his door. 'Ugh…' Kakashi pulled the pillow off his face and squinted at the rays of sunlight littering his living room. 'To bad for Sakura, it's going to be a sunny day.' He mused, rolling onto the floor and making his way across the room. "What?" He asked after opening the door to face a rather ecstatic Genma.

Sometimes Kakashi wondered why he didn't turn tail and run to a different apartment complex when he found out Genma lived just down the hall.

"Dude…have you looked outside?" Genma asked, pushing Kakashi aside to race across the room.

Kakashi feigned innocence. "No? Should I have?" He tilted his head to the side, as he heard a groan from the other room. Thankfully Genma seemed to miss it as he shimmied the living room window open.

"Last night someone covered the building in toilet paper." Genma chattered loudly, poking his head out the window. "It's weird, because I didn't hear a thing last night…"

Kakashi's lips twitched into a smile. "How does that not surprise me?" He wondered as he walked into the kitchen.

'It's going to be a horrible day.' Sakura seethed as she pressed the pillow to her face a little harder. It was a vain attempt to block out the noises from the other room, which completely and utterly failed. 'Wait where am if?' This was not her bed…and the voices in the other room sounded like men. Sakura's train of thought went silent for a few moments.

"That's cold Kakashi...make me some eggs?" Genma begged, leaning on the island's counter.

Kakashi shot a half hearted glare in his direction. "I don't remember becoming your chef..." It's not like he had any eggs in the first place.

"Oh god!" Sakura shrieked from the other room as she bolted out of the bed, only to be rebuked by the searing pain in her head. "Oh my god…" She repeated blanching as she griped her head. 'What the hell did I do last night?' She took solace in the fact she still had all her clothes on.

Genma blinked and looked in the direction of Kakashi's bedroom, a sly cat like grin crossing his face. "Oho! What's this, Kakashi's got a lady friend over?" He wondered, slinking his way towards the closed door.

Kakashi shook his head, as he sipped his bottle of water. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warned, only to be ignored when Genma threw the door open.

"Geh?" Genma yelped when a fist connected with his face knocking him flat on his ass. "What was that for!" His mouth dropped slightly when he took in the sight of a rather ruffled Sakura. "Wow." He was well aware his jaw had dropped. "Kakashi you dog…." A grin stretched over his face slowly.

"It's not like that." Kakashi interjected as he handed Sakura a glass of water and some aspirin. "So don't jump to any conclusions."

Sakura looked a little relieved, as she swallowed the aspirin. "What am I doing here?" She wondered, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"You and Ino decided to prank me...or rather the entire apartment building. You'll probably remember in no time." Kakashi stated, stepping over Genma on his way to his  
bedroom.

"Ah." Sakura stated wordlessly, her brow relaxes slightly. She did indeed remember Ino suggesting they tepee Kakashi apartment. 'And I agreed like an idiot…' She blanched slightly as she remembered ogling both Kakashi's arms and bottom. 'Oh god.' She groaned for the third time that morning as she flopped onto his couch.

Genma picked himself up off the floor and rubbed his jaw, thankful she hadn't punched him using Chakra. "So _that's_ who did it…what'd Kakashi do to piss you two off?" He wondered, studying the Hokage's apprentice before pulling off a rather impressive pout. "You didn't have to hit me you know, he said as he slid into the seat next to her; Flirting was in his nature.

"Sorry about that." Sakura smiled apologetically, as she inched away from him a bit. 'Doesn't this guy know what personal space means?'

Kakashi poked his head out of the room. "You're not about to start flirting with my fiancé are you Genma?" He was highly entertained when Sakura's face flashed a brilliant red.

"Wah?" Genma wondered eloquently. "You just said it wasn't like that." He jabbed a finger at Kakashi accusingly. "And it wasn't like that." He sweated when Sakura fixed him a dirty look; she was rather scary. 'How does Shizune put up with those two?' He wondered about the poor black haired woman's sanity, Tsunade was a handful and her protégé was apparently just as bad at times.

"Well it's not like that." Kakashi blinked at Genma. "We're in love, aren't we darling?" He laid it on thick as he walked across the room to grab Sakura's hand. It was just too much fun to pass up, as Genma gapped at him like a fish. "Irrevocably and utterly in love." He kissed her hand, his eyes shining with mischief.

"If being in love means I'd like to punch you in the face, then yes, we're in love." Sakura responded her tone dry as she looked away, seeing his eyes like that made her heart pound.

"If that were the case you'd be in love with a lot of men." Kakashi joked, as he let her hand go. "Naruto, Sai, Genma here, and who knows who else." He turned to look at Genma. "But we _are_ engaged.."

There were a few moments of fumbled words on Genma's part as he looked between them with eyes the size of dinner plates, before Sakura interjected and began a scrambled explanation of what Kakashi _really_ meant. 'Ugh…I have a feeling this _relationship_ is going to be a lot of trouble.' Sakura thought as she rubbed her forehead. The headache was fading, but not fast enough. "What he really means is that we're betrothed." She stated giving Kakashi a annoyed look. "And it's a recent discovery at that."

Genma pouted and looked at Kakashi. "How recent?" He wasn't surprised that Kakashi was handling it so nonchalantly. That guy was hard to get a rise out of, unless he wanted you to.

"Mm…two days ago recent?" The copy-nin replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

Genma took to complaining. "You should have told me, we could have gone out drinking to celebrate…You're ah…yea!" He cut the speech short and slung an arm around Kakashi's neck.

"Well…let's just say I've been a bit busy the last few days." Kakashi stated dryly, watching as Sakura looked shifted uncomfortably.

"Can we not talk about drinking?" The pink haired girl requested as she turned a bit green. That was the last thing she wanted to hear about.

Genma twirled the Senbon from his mouth between his fingers mischievously. "Well…if you're sure you don't want to hear about the time Kakashi did a strip dance against Gai when he was completely smashed a few years back…" That seemed to catch her attention.

"I'm suddenly feeling better." Sakura stated, staring at him in vast interest as She leaned forward expectantly.

"No she doesn't." Kakashi shuddered, as he began shooing Sakura towards the door. "Tsunade's probably looking for you, and don't you have work? You should shower too , so off you go!" There was no way in hell she was going to hear _that_ story.

Sakura pouted and tried to peer over his shoulder at Genma. "Yea but it can wait…your acting like you're embarrassed Kakashi-Sensei." She stated teasingly.

Kakashi simply flashed her a smile. "Have a good day." He bid, hearing her mumble the same as he shut the door in her face. He'd let the slip in suffix slip for now. "As for you…" He turned a glare towards Genma. "Tell her that story, or any of the other one and you die, and we both know I can get away with it." He stated, his eye closing into a crescent. Kakashi may have been smiling, but at the moment he was one of the most frightening things Genma had ever seen.

"Eh, eh, eh…" Genma looked around frantically. "Oh hey, look at the time!" He cried, sticking the senbon in his mouth before darting for the window. "See ya later Hatake!" He called, before plunging out the window.

With a self satisfied smile, Kakashi sauntered into his room to get ready for the day. 'Nothing works better then death threats.' He mused.

Halfway across the village, Sakura was discovering the same thing when she busted into the Yamanaka flower shop. Ino, as she'd expected was sleeping on the counter, curled up against the cash register. "Oh Ino…" Sakura cooed close to the blonde's ear. "Its time to get up." And face a beating, was the unspoken add on.

"Mm…" Ino replied, snuggling up to the metal machine, unaware of the knuckles cracking close to her vicinity.

"I said get up!" Sakura shrieked, grabbing Ino's clothes and shaking her roughly, the response was instantaneous this time; Ino's eyes flew open as she began shrieking.

"Okay okay!" Ino whined, her hands going to her own head. "What's gotten into you forehead?" She made an attempt to look as innocent as possible.

A vein in Sakura's forehead pulsed erratically. "You ditched me at Kakashi's last night." She stated in annoyance as she dropped Ino in favor for cracking her knuckles threateningly.

Ino sweated visibly. "Eh…I was drunk, you can't hold me accountable for that!" She waved her hands around nervously. "You can forgive me cant you?" it would be such a pity if her pretty face were ruined by Sakura's fists.

Sakura's smile was reminiscent of the Cheshire cat's, as she leaned forward. "If you ever ditch me in a situation like that again Ino I swear I will make your life a living hell." She paused. "I'll strike when you least expect it, maybe not the day after, or the week after, but rest assured, I will strike, and you _will _regret the day." She stated.

In honesty, Ino was already regretting it. "Right." She cleared her throat and dusted her clothing off. "I guess asking for aspirin would be frowned on?" She looked at her friend hopefully.

"Sorry I have none." Sakura smiled a little too sweetly. 'More like none to share with you.' It was petty revenge, but it gave her satisfaction to see Ino's crest fallen face. "In any case, I have to get home and shower." She stated, making her way towards the door. It was a good thing her shift started late in the afternoon, otherwise she'd be late again.

"What happened after Kakashi caught you?" Ino shouted after her, still pouting, and wincing at the light.

Sakura grinned, her back facing Ino's inquisitive eyes. "We had sex." She stated, before jogging off. 'Stew in _that_ for a while why don't you!' Half way across the block she burst into laughter. She could just imagine Ino's face, just by hearing the blonde screaming for her to come back and explain. 'Revenge is a bitch, and her name just so happens to be Sakura.'

With lighter steps then before Sakura made her way back towards her apartment. The minute she stepped through the doors, Shizune was on her like a leech. "Where have you been?" The poisons expert cried as she shook the younger girl. "I woke up this morning, and both you and Ino were missing…then Tsunade-sama told me you went out to pull a prank!"

"Ah, I uh…we pranked Kakashi's apartment building and then Ino ditched me." Sakura explained meekly, sometimes Shizune had scary moments too. "I ended up staying at Kakashi's." She shot a dirty look at the smirking Tsunade. "And it wasn't even remotely like that!"

"If you say so." The Hokage continued smirking behind the rim of her teacup.

Shizune relaxed slightly. "I knew leaving the three of you to drink was a horrible idea." She mumbled, rubbing her forehead. "Well, breakfast is on the table, Tsunade-sama and I are heading towards the tower to start work early." She stated, smiling at Sakura briefly. "Have a nice day!"

Tsunade grumbled something as she shoved one last piece of toast in her mouth. "Slave driver." She remarked towards Shizune, before saying her own farewell. "Ah, don't forget to wash the dishes!" She called before flouncing out the front door.

"Yes _mom_." Sakura stated, half jokingly, as she made her way towards the kitchen. Despite the fact that her life had been irrevocably changed the day before, Sakura felt that she was taking things rather maturely. 'I haven't cried at all.' She thought proudly, chewing on some bacon. In her experience however, the longer you went without crying usually meant the time that you did cry, would be horrendous.

'That subject is entirely too depressing for so early in the morning.' Sakura decided, pushing it from her mind. 'Let's focus on something entirely more interesting…like what Genma-san was talking about earlier.' She thought deviously, as a grin crossed her face. "I have _got_ to find out what he was talking about…" Even if she had to find Gai and ask the spandex wearing man herself.

'Let's hope we can get it out of Genma first.' Sakura shuddered, having no idea the senbon chewing man was currently running around the village spreading the juicy little tidbit he'd heard from her own lips. If she had known, she would have been smacking her head against the table for her own stupidity; unfortunately, Hindsight was twenty-twenty.

Ignorance however, was indeed bliss. Sakura readied herself for the day, before locking up the apartment and making her way into the busier part of Konohagakure. She was missing quite a few items after her former residence had been demolished.

"S-Sakura-Chan!" Naruto screamed as he barreled into the medic-nin. "It's not true, is it!" He gripped Sakura's shoulders and shook her.

The only reason Sakura hadn't decked him in the face was because His entire face reeked of absolute horror. Sakura stared up at him in a silent stupor. "What in the name of hell are you talking about!" She pushed him away from her slightly.

Naruto bit his lip, before speaking. "I heard Yamato-sensei talking to someone saying that you and Kakashi-sense are going to get married!" He crossed his arms in annoyance and looked away. "I told him he was fucked up in the head, dattebayo."

"Oh." Sakura winced slightly, and looked at her feet. 'Genma...when I get my hands on you…' Her fists clenched automatically clenched.

"But it's not true, so we should go tell everyone Sakura-Chan!" Naruto shouted, grabbing her hand as he smiled at her brightly. "I mean could you imagine being married to that guy?" he joked, stopping short when he looked her in the eyes, they were filled with fear. At that moment, she didn't have to say anything; he knew it was all true. "You're kidding me…" Naruto trailed off as he flopped onto his bottom in disbelief.

Sakura crouched down across from him her head resting against her knees. "What they're saying isn't exactly true." She admitted, closing her eyes as she explained the situation for the second time that day.

"Why didn't you just say no?" Naruto wondered, his brow crinkling in thought. "Your dad would understand, don't you think?" He didn't want his Sakura marrying anyone just because she felt like she had too.

"Maybe he would." Sakura admitted as she opened her eyes to peer at him. "But it's something he always wanted, ever since he was a child…he's the reason I'm the person I am today, don't I owe it to him to at least try?" She thought out loud. "I'm not saying I'm going to marry Kakashi for sure or anything…but I have to take a chance, because if I don't, I feel like I'll regret it."

Like a sponge, Naruto seemed to soak her words in, his blue eyes narrowed in thought. "I guess I can understand." He admitted after a few moments of silence. "That doesn't mean I like it though!" the blond shouted, shaking his head wildly. "If that pervert makes you sad or something, I'll get him for you, dattebayo!" He vowed, grabbing Sakura's hands. "Even if I don't agree, I'll support you no matter what."

Sakura smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks…I could really use the support." She admitted, tearing up. 'Naruto's always there when you need him.' She mused.

"You're not gonna cry are ya?" Naruto whined. "I hate when girls cry…but it's the worst when Sakura-Chan cries, dattebayo! I'll treat you to some ramen!" He cried pumping his fist into the air. "Guess we cant call it a date anymore though." He noted more to himself.

Sakura laughed slightly as she wiped at her eyes. "I already ate…and I'm going to be late for work…maybe some other time." She smiled, and kissed his cheek before patting it affectionately. "I probably don't say this enough…but you're really the best...you've always been there for me when i needed you...and I've always appreciated it." She stated, withdrawing her hands from his. "So thank you, and don't let it get to your head!" It was probably too late with the way he was grinning.  
Sakura turned and made her way down the street, pausing to wave at him for a moment.

"I'll always be there for you Sakura-Chan!" He grinned in his trademark way. "It's about damn time you admitted my awesomeness, dattebayo!" Naruto called after her his hands cupped over his mouth, before he turned his attention to something more pressing. He had an Icha Icha reading pervert with silver hair to find. That man needed a very stern lecture on just how to be treating Naruto's Sakura-chan.

Inside Hokage Tower, Kakashi found himself sneezing.

"Someone must be talking about you." Tsunade mused with a smirk; it was actually the entire village. 'I'm surprised his ears aren't burning with how many times his name's been said.'

"Hm, I wonder why they would do a thing like that…." Kakashi replied nonchalantly as he began flipping a page in his book. 'Genma, Genma, Genma…you have no idea the wrath you've just brought upon your head.' He thought, thinking of the rage Sakura's small form was harboring at the moment. He was once more rather glad he was not going to be on the receiving ends of those small fists.

Tsunade leaned her head into the palm of her hand. "Naruto is probably getting a bit restless with the lack of missions." She noted, it'd only been a few days since Pain's attack, but things were starting to recover. "But for right now I think its best we keep him inside the village." She admitted, staring at her desk.

"I agree." Although Naruto would throw a fit when he was informed, with the country and village in the state it was, they were at a disadvantage. Kakashi shut his book, and slipped it away. "Any word on the incident at the capital?"

Tsunade sat a little straighter, as she looked over a scroll. "They managed to find a body of one of the former council members. I've ordered them to bring it back with them for examination post haste." Normally, bodies would be assed at the scene, but she'd decided that the situation needed a little more finesse.

Kakashi nodded his head as he crossed his arms, his eyes boring through the window. "If it is the Akatsuki, what do you think they're up to?" The only thing he could possibly imagine they were up to would be an attempt to further weaken Konohagakure by eradicating the Daimyo. 'Unfortunately it seems to have backfired.'

Already supplies and extra hands were pouring into the village. Kakashi had seen the massive gates open this morning as lumber was rolled in along with the supplies and manpower.

"Who knows?" Tsunade wondered, as she pressed a few fingers against her forehead. "But I won't rest until I know." She stated as her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. Jiraiya was dead now, but she was going to carry out his will the best she could. 'You don't have to worry…I'm going to do my best for Naruto…for all of them.' She thought, as if the old peeping tom could hear her.

Kakashi nodded his head, as he pushed off the wall. "Speaking of Akatsuki, looks like their prime target is on his way." He stated pointing out the window moments before the blond burst in.

"Naruto!" Tsunade shrieked as the whiskered boy landed on her desk, scattering papers.

"Not now Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto waved his hand at her as he turned his attention towards Kakashi. "You!" He shrieked pointing an outraged finger in the man's direction.

"Me?" Kakashi echoed, pointing a finger at himself innocently. 'Déjà vu…'

"No, that lamp-post next to you, dattebayo!" Naruto stated sarcastically. "I hear you and Sakura-Chan are like…_dating_ or whatever." He almost choked on the word dating. Really, it was just so unfair!_ He_ was supposed to be dating, and at some point marrying her, not Kakashi.

Tsunade tapped her fingers on her desk methodically as she mentally counted to one hundred. 'It won't do to put the brat in the hospital again.' She told herself, as she fought the impulse to pound him. She'd let him get the yelling out of his system first, and _then_ make him clean up the mess he'd made of her office.

"That would be correct I suppose." Kakashi admitted imperturbably. "Did you speak to her yourself?" He arched a brow.

"Yea." Naruto admitted as he crouched down to sulk, his eyes sliding shut. "But that doesn't mean I like it…but…there isn't much I can do." He admitted. "But I'm telling you this, if you upset her, or do something…_creepy_…" He smirked when Kakashi vaguely bristled. "I'll make you regret it, dattebayo!"

"Understood...And I wouldn't do anything creepy, Sakura is important to me too you know." Kakashi mumbled, just because he read porn didn't mean he was perverse.

Naruto nodded his head, as he hopped off the desk.

"Great, now that you two are done this heart to heart…" Tsunade's brow twitched in annoyance. "Clean up this mess!" She screamed, shaking Naruto by the folds of his jacket.

"But Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto complained loudly. "Why can't I do something more fun… there must be some missions for me!"

Kakashi took this opportunity to slink out of the office. He didn't want to be there when Tsunade told the boy that there wouldn't be any missions for a while. It was bound to be explosive.

"If you don't clean this mess up, you'll go so long without missions, you'll forget what the hell a mission is!" Tsunade shrieked as she threw a paper weight at Naruto.

"Dattebayo!" Naruto yelped as he was nailed in the face with it. "Why me?" He groaned as he began picking papers off the floor. All he wanted in life was some ramen, team seven to be together, to be Hokage, and a little adventure now and then. That wasn't too much to ask, was it? He didn't think so.

"And alphabetically organize those while you're at it." Tsunade stated as she filed her nails idly. It would do the boy some good to learn what being Hokage was really like. 'And it'll keep him occupied for a while.' She thought with a smirk.

Kakashi was thankful to be free for the day, and made his way towards the bank to cash his check.

"My eternal rival!" Gai called from across the street. "I've heard some astounding news...for the sake of my youthful student i must speak with you about it!"

'Oh god.' Kakashi rolled his single visible up towards the sky. "Why?" He asked. "Why me?"

Apparently, it was his turn to be laughed at by the gods.

* * *

Whew, sorry for how long it took me to update guys DX I was doing final exams and such, and then a few papers to write. In any case, I'm out of school until this fall. (Lucky aren't I?) On an interesting note, I was proposed to…over the phone, via text message….by my ex boyfriend which he then took back. The situation left me more assured than ever that men are indeed strange, and I have no hope of ever understanding them. This chapter probably wasn't edited to well . It was hard for me to get back into the swing of things after being busy for what feels like forever...which is why i severely procrastinated while writing it.


	9. I Heard a Rumor

Bow down to DivineRedFire for beta-ing for me. She's wonderful, amazing, awesome, awe-inspiring, awe-tastic, astonishing – in fact she's so damn awesome; I may have to start using profanity to express her awesomeness.

Disclaimer: …*Cries* Look what you've done! You've gone and rubbed the lack of ownerships right in my face. I hope you're happy, you just made a girl cry.

I suggest viewing in 3/4 - it looks better.

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To Build A Nest  
By: Tsukiko Hoshino

_Nothing is swifter than rumor_

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The first course of action Kakashi took was to pretend he'd neither seen nor heard Gai as he buried his nose in Icha Icha Tactics. He continued his stroll through the market place innocently; it did no good. Gai, who unfortunately for Kakashi was blessed with an indomitable will shadowed him for a good five minutes.

_'Alright alright!'_ Kakashi heaved a sigh as he came to a stop; if he didn't put an end to it now, Gai would undoubtedly follow him for the rest of the day. It was best to get it done and over with. "Is there a reason you're stalking me?" he wondered, flipping a page.

"Ah! My eternal rival, I was wondering when you would take notice of me." Gai looked rather proud of himself, as he placed his hands on his hips. "Perhaps your detection skills need improvement? I would be happy to help you train them!" he smiled broadly at the mention of training.

Kakashi cringed. 'He'd probably make me wear green spandex.' It took every drop of self control he had not to visibly gag. "That's awful kind of you, but no thanks." He responded, fixing him with a single lazy eye. "What was it you wanted again?" the question seemed to sober Gai.

"Well, you see…Lee and I were doing our usual fifty laps around the village this morning, and of course with my wonderful sense of hearing I overheard something. It sent my poor student into tears!" Gai sighed wistfully. "Now of course_I_ don't put much stock into rumors, but as your friend I figured you should know…"

A sigh escaped Kakashi's masked lips, as he adjusted his eye back onto the text of his book. "If this is about Sakura and I, then yes it's true." Might as well put it out in the open he rationalized to himself. Surely a man with his wit and experience should have known better then to agree before for hearing the accusations fully. It was a good thing he'd never claimed to be mistake free.

Gai went from being slack jawed to looking a fish as his mouth opened and closed in a mere matter of seconds. "It can't be true!" he cried pointing a finger at his rival. "You wouldn't do something like that!" Sure, Kakashi was aggravating with his _cool_attitude, but there was no way he did _that._ "Oh the shame!" He moaned, shaking his head.

"It can't be true that our parents decided to match-make?" Kakashi arched a brow, in his mind. "Or are you just worried I might be ahead of you? Because I'm sure some nice…girl will uh, fall in love with you someday." he mused, eyeing Gai thoughtfully. The last option wouldn't surprise him in the least with Gai being as over dramatic and devoted to their rivalry as he was. _'This is a bit over the top, even for him.'_

"Eh?" Gai's brows furrowed for a moment. "Matchmaking…so she's not pregnant?" He seemed completely unaware of the strangled choking sound that had wrangled itself free of Kakashi's throat.

"No," Kakashi tore his eye from the book to stare at Gai insipidly. "_No_." he reiterated. "Sakura is _not_ pregnant." That was clearly the end of the subject. 'Oh Genma, Genma, Genma...' Clearly, he was going to have to figure out what to say at his eulogy when Sakura got her claws on him. "I thought you meant the rumor about us being engaged." He stated nonchalantly after putting his book away.

Awkward silences were not something one would generally associate from Gai. He– often times rather regrettably- always had something to say. Kakashi was almost relieved when he started speaking again. "That part's true then?" Gai wondered - clearly intent on milking the story from his prey.

This, Kakashi knew, could be used to his advantage; after all, someone had to do damage control. Knowing Gai, he'd run all over the town spinning the tale in an admirable light. "Ah yes," He began, smiling from behind his mask. "Partially." He began, taking his time, after all, a little suspense never hurt.

"Well! That certainly makes more sense…but oh, my poor Lee!" Gai bemoaned the heartbreak of his student. "He was so set on winning your student's love."

Kakashi decided the best way to approach that subject was to be obscure. "Yes, he was." It sounded rather…sympathetic to him. Gai apparently thought so too, as he bobbed his head.

"But, truly the two of you are honorable children, your parents would be rather proud of your attempts." Gai praised, clapping his friend on the back.

'Ow.' Kakashi shot him a disgruntled look over the rim of his book. "One can hope." He mumbled, burying his face back into the book as he began slinking away.

Gai blinked, and started after him quickly. "Wait, wait! I believe it's my turn to pick a challenge!" he cried with a self satisfied look, "Unless you're not up to it…" he trailed off slyly.

"Nope, can't say that I am." Kakashi replied casually.

"But…!" Gai shot him an irritated look. 'I really hate that nonchalant attitude.' He lamented to himself.

"Well…" Kakashi paused in his slow gait for a moment. "I suppose I would be up to a challenge if there weren't so many rumors for me to dissuade." He said, setting the trap.  
Gai's eyes seemed to light up with an impassioned fire as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Alright, I'll take care of it, don't worry!" he turned his blazing eyes towards the busy market place, before sprinting away.

'Hook line and sinker.' Kakashi mused – noting that Gai should really be a little more distrusting- before his thoughts switched to wondering whether or not he should make his way towards the hospital, or wait a few hours. 'Let's put it off till lunch time.' He told himself with a shudder, hoping it was enough time to keep Sakura from going for the jugular on sight. The whole thing was in a very, very miniscule way was _partially_ his fault.

Sakura heaved a sigh as she made her way through the hospital doors; It hadn't been easy to block the sound of her name being whispered, and the weight of stares against her back- but she'd managed it. '_There really are one too many nosey people in the world._' She mused.

"Sakura-Chan!" Aiko called from across the lobby, one hand holding a dangling pink bakery box, and the other a Styrofoam cup. "Why didn't you tell me?" She pouted, tapping her left foot impatiently. "If I'd known I never would have let you run up those stairs." She said, holding the box and cup out to Sakura. "You need the nutrition. I got some Pastries and Raspberry tea for you."

If Sakura were to assume she'd been referring to her engagement that left the latter part of Aiko's statement puzzling. "I only found out yesterday…and what's marriage got to do with running up steps…for that matter, why the sudden concern with my dietary needs?" Sakura slowly accepted the box– as if it would blow up in her face.

"You know, because of the baby and all." Aiko's pale blue eyes blinked innocently.

"W-what?" Sakura was painfully aware of the escalating pitch in her voice.

Aiko's brows furrowed in confusion as she took Sakura's arm gently and led her to sit on one of the benches. "Maybe you should sit down, you're looking pretty pale…probably the morning sickness." She hummed worriedly, placing the steaming cup into the other girl's hands. "Drink that."

"I'm not pregnant!" Sakura shrieked loudly her eyes boring holes into a few bystanders – the pieces had finally clicked together as her voice reverberated through the reception area. If anyone in the room hadn't been starring or whispering before they certainly were now. _'Oh god…this is because I lied to Ino this morning, isn't it?'_ Why was karma such a bitch?

Aiko mulled over whether or not she should ask Sakura if she was sure – but really, it would probably be a horrible idea. She settled for a rather eloquent, "Ah."

Sakura shifted, turning to face Aiko quickly, her sudden movements almost spilling the scorching red liquid everywhere. "What made you think that?" one look at Aiko's face made her feel horrible; the blonde was currently in the act of pulling off a wonderful rendition of a kicked puppy.

The nurse next to her hung her head, clearly crest fallen. "So you're really not pregnant then…" She sounded awfully upset about the information. "Ah well." Aiko sighed as she continued, "Anyways, I was in the bakery this morning, picking up breakfast – though I really shouldn't have been 'cause I'm on a diet and all…but there were a few people ahead of me and they were talking about you and Hatake-san..." She paused a bit, placing a finger to her cheek thoughtfully.

"Okay," Sakura rolled her wrist impatiently. "And…?"

Aiko sighed and mumbled offhandedly about impatient youths. "Well, they said you and Hatake-san were getting married because he knocked you up – which I would just like to say there is nothing wrong with having kids out of wedlock."

"As much as I appreciate your support in the area of children – there aren't any, and probably won't be for a _looong_ time." Sakura stated with a tone of dry amusement. "I think you have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with me and babies….Now back to the subject." She reprimanded gently. _'She's years older than me, but I feel as though sometimes I'm speaking to a child._' Sakura thought in amusement.

"Right, Right." The nurse next to her clapped her hands determinedly, "So like, there was a couple in front of me, and they were all; can you believe Kakashi…he got the Hokage's apprentice knocked up! And then the cashier was like no no, I heard that he's been having a relationship with her since she was a Genin! And I was like…_Ew_." Taking a quick glance at her companion, Aiko was hard pressed to identify the shade of red Sakura was turning.

"Wait...it's not like that is it?" Aiko looked positively horrified, with pale dainty hands clasped to her heart in utter revulsion.

_'This whole thing is turning out to be a rotten mess.'_ Sakura moaned to herself, burying her face in her hands. It was all Genma's fault, or Kakashi's. _'Hell, I'm a firm believer in sharing. It's both their faults!'_ Kakashi was the one who'd decided to tease her in front of Genma; if it hadn't been for that she would have kept her mouth shut. For the moment though, Sakura was going to have to settle with damning them both to hell.

Suddenly, the posed question smacked her in the face like a brick.

"It's not – and never was like that at all!" Sakura cried pulling her face out of her hands for a moment. "Listen, there was no sordid _affair_, or anything like that…this_thing_ between us…it's… an honor thing." She was fumbling for words to explain it, and she knew it. "It's an arranged marriage – type thing." That sounded about right, despite all her scrabbling.

Aiko blinked slowly. "Oh." She said, sounding rather sympathetic. Somehow, of all the people Sakura knew – including Sasuke, the blond had a strange talent in which she was able to make monosyllables sound like whole sentences. That simple 'Oh,' Sounded more like a rather sincere, 'Oh, poor you, it's really a shame - your day seems to have gone to hell in a hand basket.' To Sakura's ears at least.

"Yes,_oh_." Sakura agreed miserably.

"Well, I never would have judged you anyways. Though, I do feel bad for you…I hear arranged marriages can be hard." She said cheerily, patting Sakura on the shoulder. "I think you should worry more about them." She motioned towards the amassing staff. "The wolves are currently looking at you like you're the leg of lamb for the day."

Indeed, they were. '_Who the hell is running this place – wait, it's me technically.'_ Sakura thought with dry humor, her eyes tallying the people who seemed a little too absorbed in glancing between her and their clipboards, doing what they probably hoped was an inconspicuous attempt to appear busy. _'How is anything getting done?_' it felt like half the hospital had crammed themselves into the reception area.

Aiko let out a quiet, "Uh…" That seemed to forebode the arrival of chaos – whose instigator was waltzing through the doors as if on cloud nine.

Nothing seemed to put Reiko in a better mood than knowing Sakura was thrashing in catastrophe. "I guess your rampant behavior the other day makes a bit more sense, considering you're….condition." Reiko announced loudly, a wide smirk stretching over her face after slinking through the front doors.

The room that had once been filled with quiet murmurs immediately quieted down to watch the train wreck waiting to happen.

_'Oh no, no, no!'_ Sakura cried mentally, as she saw Reiko sashaying her way towards her. She'd barely heard the words that came out of the other woman's mouth, and only replied when Aiko gave her a nudge with her rather sharp elbow. "I don't have a condition." Sakura replied, her tone far more blithe then she felt.

"Oh?" Reiko's grin was positively catlike, Sakura would later swear that was the moment in her life that she decided she preferred dogs to cats hand down. "That's not what I heard." Reiko stated mockingly, looking around the room, showing off for all to see. "I'd say _everyone's_ heard about_it_."  
_  
__'Seriously, someone's been watching too many soap operas.'_Sakura mused, drawing to her full height – not that five foot two was all that impressive. "You really shouldn't go by what rumors say." She stated, which a smile of her own. "Otherwise, I guess according to the rumors, I've been getting more then you've gotten in a _looong_ time." From those words sprung a few collected whispers, none of which Sakura deigned to bless with her attention.

Aiko winced, mentally running a commentary on the ensuing battle of wills. "Ooh…burn." She covered it with a polite and ladylike cough when Reiko sent her a dirty look.

"So before anyone says anything else, why don't I clarify things?" Sakura suggested tensely, looking around the room. "I'm not pregnant, and frankly speaking, I don't want to even _hear_ of the rest of the rumors. Frankly, I shudder to even think of what your sick minds may have thought up, especially since you're so interested in business that obviously isn't yours." She took note of the slightly guilty faces around the room.

Reiko on the other hand, was not one of them as she snorted rather raucously.

Sakura paid no mind, and continued on. "If you have to know the nature of my relationship with Kakashi, then it's thus; we were arranged to be married by our parents. Don't believe me, think what you like, but get back to work!" she barked, glaring around the room. For a moment, watching them scatter in the manner of mice reminded her of what Tsunade must feel like on a frequent basis; powerful.

"Woo! That was great Sakura-chan!" Aiko cried ignoring the exceedingly darker look she was getting from Reiko, as she began clapping her hands from the bench. Watching the room clear out in record time demanded far more of her attention then murderous looks. "Hey Chiyuui, you can come out now, the crowd's gone!" She called, cupping a hand to her mouth to call across the room.

"Thank god." Chiyuui sighed, pulling herself out from underneath the edge of the round receptionist's desk. "That was way too many people in one room for my liking." She shot Sakura a rather thankful look.

Today, Sakura also realized that having your own cheering section was especially nice when you needed a pick-me-up. "You're still here?" She arched a brow at Reiko. "Didn't I say to scram? Your work won't wait for you." She paused, as if mulling it over. "Unless you don't feel like working, in which case; there's the door." She motioned towards the clear glass panels that were streaming golden rays of warm sunlight, as if inviting one to walk outside. Sakura would have been all too happy to take up the invitation, but unfortunately, duty called and she was devoted to answering it.

"Oh, and give you the pleasure of seeing me quit?" Reiko snapped, stomping her foot like an impetuous child. "I think not!" She cried, stomping off.

"Minus ten points for lack of originality," Sakura mumbled to herself. Seriously, she could almost swear that line was a direct rip off from a soap opera. "Well, now that I've thoroughly humiliated myself, I suppose I'll get started with the rest of my day." She said dryly.

Aiko smiled and drew herself off the bench, brushing off her white uniform for imaginary dirt . "I think you did pretty well personally, I mean just look how fast they all ran!" She said animatedly, while looking over her clipboard.

Chiyuui nodded as she adjusted her glasses. "Sakura, Shizune left something earlier this morning for you." She pulled out a small neon green colored post-it note.

Tearing her eyes away from Aiko's impression of Reiko, she took the sticky paper, and looked over it quickly. '_Come to the morgue at 3:30…_' despite the vagueness of the note, Sakura's nose wrinkled in the vague notion of disgust.

Though she was a medic-nin and there had been many cadavers she'd had to examine during her apprenticeship, not to mention the many more she would no doubt end up poking and prodding, something about dead bodies always made her feel a little ill. She'd been asked to do autopsies many times by Shizune and Tsunade to train her skills, and test her tolerance. "Thanks." She cast Chiyuui a brief smile, before turning to Aiko.

"I know, I know." The blonde pouted. "Stop hanging around like a bum." She stated, waving her clip board dismissively as she began making her way towards the elevator.

"That's not what I was going to say," Sakura stated with a teasing smile. "But yea, that too." She said.

Aiko's brow furrowed, as she spun around to ask what she'd meant, only to find Sakura gone along with her well meant, if not misdirected gifts. "Hmph." She pouted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Stop procrastinating." Chiyuui shooed her with an exasperated look on her face. "You're late enough as it is."

"Yea, yea," Aiko huffed sending the receptionist a cheerless look, one that clearly said she got the picture but did not like what she saw.

Time ticked by slowly and Sakura filled the majority of it wishing Genma a very pain filled experience – preferably at her hands_. 'A ninja should not have a big mouth.'_ She seethed to herself, after the fifth person that day expressed with condolences on her supposedly impending marriage. People went from praising her for having fealty to her father's wishes, or acting like she was marching to her death. _'If I have to explain things one more time…I'll rip my hair out – or better yet, theirs!'_

"No." She stated point blank the moment one of the younger interns opened her mouth to ask what she assumed would be about her and Kakashi. It was the slightly hurt look the girl in front of her made that incited her to be a little less prickly. "If it's not a work related question, I'm not answering." Sakura stated pleasantly, watching as what began as a slightly hopeful look became crest fallen once more.

"But –" The intern began only to be cut off again.

"Oh look at the time!" Sakura announced loudly when glancing at her watch. "Got to go, dead bodies and all. You know how that is." She _almost_ felt giddy. 'The dead don't ask annoying questions.' She reasoned to herself, quickly slipping out the room to avoid what she knew would be begging and pleading.

Getting to the morgue was a lot like ascending into the dungeon. It was all the way in second level of the hospital basement, Sakura decided to take the stairs in order to prolong the inevitability of what she knew would be jabbing and sticking pointing things at and mostly into dead bodies.

It was true, that a body was a body whether living or alive – clinically speaking, but there was a difference and it was what the dead lacked that made her so apprehensive around them. They lacked the warmth the living did, the warmth she knew they once had. When she looked at them for those first few moments, her mind raced with who they must have been at one time. The family that must have been missing them, the pain they must have felt after she looked over each wound.

Though there was the creepy factor, there was also an amount of satisfaction she felt after finishing. To Sakura it felt as though, by piecing together their death they would be allowed to rest peacefully. That, by even telling their family a small lie of how they'd passed quickly, she was bringing a sense of peace – no matter how small it may have been.

It still didn't unbalance the creepiness of staring into those empty glassy eyes that had once held such life and vigor, but it helped making the bitter medicine easier to swallow.

In her opinion, she reached the end of the stairs a little too soon. With a sigh, Sakura pushed the doors open, catching sight of Tsunade speaking with a squad of ANBU at the end of the long, poorly lit hallway. 'The lighting down here is horrible.' She mused, looking up at the dim lights. The whole scene reminded her of a horror movie, which she understandably found no comfort in.

"And the state of the capital?" Kinmura wondered, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his red and white robes. He stood off to the side, half in the shadows with a pale haired woman standing next to him.

"Currently running around like a chicken without its head - as expected." One of the faceless soldiers said his masked face turning towards him.

Kinmura clasped his hands behind his back anxiously. "We're going to have to set up a convoy and leave to settle things there as soon as possible."

"You should wait for the results, before anything is planned. Although we have speculation to who our perpetrator is, we only have one body to prove it, if even that is definitive." Tsunade stated her golden brown eye's meeting Sakura's. "Speaking of which, it looks like we can finally get under way."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Tsunade-shishou." She greeted, bowing briefly.

Tsunade bowed her head briefly, before motioning towards room number seven. "Shizune is waiting for you and I to get started." She said, turning to the ANBU. "You're all dismissed; leave your reports on my desk."

The white and black clothed squadron leader bowed briefly to the village leader, before disappearing in a plume of wispy smoke. His exit was followed with three others in a similar fashion.

"Kinmura-sama, I'll let you know as soon as we have the results." Tsunade said, crossing her arms as she looked towards room seven's metallic doors. "Till then, you and Amaya-sama should adjourn back to the palace; Tora is waiting for you in the elevator."

The Daimyo frowned and nodded. "Right…" It was clear he had something heavy weighing him down, just by looking into his eyes. Amaya tugged at his hand gently, and murmured something so quiet, even with her training, Sakura couldn't hear it. Whatever it was, it slowly brought a small smile to his face, as he nodded, and moved towards the elevator.

Sakura watched as they disappeared behind the chrome doors, her ears catching the stray sound of the elevator dinging. 'Something doesn't feel right.' She mused, the foreboding feeling tugged at her heart, and for a moment, Sakura truly feared what was in room seven. "Tsunade-shishou…all three of us for one body," She swallowed nervously. "Is it really necessary?" she asked quietly.

"We only have one body and a palace deduced to cinders to base our findings off of." The Hokage stated, shaking her head. "I want to be extra sure about anything we find. Though I could have done it myself or even had Shizune do it…I've decided that you're due to perform the autopsy," She stated, placing a hand on her apprentices shoulder as she guided her into the preparation room. "Just in case you miss something, Shizune and I are here to catch it. This is very important."

The slight nodding of Sakura's head gave her agreement as they went through the usual sanitary scrubbing and washing, pulling on the pale blue protective robes and masks. With that done, they shuffled their way across the hall, and into the ominous room seven. There wasn't much speaking done, but Sakura took comfort in her teacher's presence.

Room seven smelled like rotting flesh, meaning the corpse wasn't all that fresh. Despite the mask covering her nose and mouth, it did little to buffer the scent, but she was grateful for it regardless.

Sakura took one look at the long black bag on the table, and shoved the nagging voice in the back of her head into a box, and locked it. 'This is important.' She chastised herself.

"Well?" Tsunade glanced at her expectantly.

"Right." Sakura shook her head, and grasped the zipper, pulling it down to its end. She could hear the clicking of a tape recorder being turned on in the background. Her eyes roamed over the dead Shinobi's lax features first – trying to place his face in her memory, but she had nothing on him. In the span of seconds, her eyes panned from his face, down to the gaping hole in his chest, for a moment, it was no longer him that she was seeing, but a face from the past. _'Haku…'_Her mind grasped at straws, remembering the same wound Kakashi had dealt the missing-nin years ago.

The wound was the same pattern she remembered seeing etched into the boy's chest years ago. It was hard to forget your first glimpse of death no matter how hard she may have tried. The clothing around the gash was stained a rusty red from dried blood and burnt in some places, but the wound itself was not discolored with age, and cauterized around the very outside edges.

There was no mistaking that pattern. During her first year of training under Tsunade, she'd been allowed a peek into Kakashi's file, which had contained a few essays on the wound patterns caused by his lightning based attacks. It was something that was done by every village, in order to identify shinobi who had abandoned their villages, or were secretly working against them.

To her knowledge, besides Kakashi, there was only one other person who knew chidori. "S-Sasuke." She rasped quietly, a gloved hand pressing to her mouth shakily. "I-I'm going to be sick!" she choked out, sprinting away from the body as fast as she could.

"Sakura!" Tsunade shrieked after her, a bewildered look painted across her face. "Well? What are you standing there for, go after her!" she snapped, shooing Shizune.

"R_-_Right!" Shizune nodded nervously, fleeing the room as well.

It only took Tsunade a few moments to look over the same wound Sakura had. Just like any sword or Kunai, chakra attacks left behind tell-tale signs to who the murderer was, and the weapon they had used to commit the act. Combined with the nature of the wound, and the fact that Sasuke had motive and the means…it did not bode well for him. But if there was even a speck of evidence pointing away from him, Tsunade would find it; for the sake of team seven.

Down the hall, Sakura slammed the door to the ladies room closed, as she dry heaved against the sink. Her mask was already strewn across the floor where she'd yanked it off haphazardly. Even when Sasuke had brandished his sword against Naruto she'd never felt like he was irredeemable.

The only reason he had never been declared a missing-nin, was because he had never killed a Leaf Shinobi before.

Before today, she'd always wanted him to come home. He was her family – he was Naruto's too, this was where he belonged.

"Sakura!" Shizune called from behind the locked door, her fist rapping against the wood, but she went unanswered.

If he had killed that man lying on the metal morgue table…Sakura could never forgive him. There was a difference, between killing your enemies – your targets, and killing bystanders. If he had killed a Shinobi from their village, then he had effectively declared war on them.

If he had killed someone from the Leaf, then what would stop him from killing someone she knew? It could have been Naruto, Ino, or any one of the rookie nine. Sakura swore her heart stopped for a moment at the thought. 'That can't happen.' She shook her head wildly, burying her face in her hands as she took a deep breath.

If it came down to it, if it was necessary, she would take him down, before he had the chance to cause anymore harm. Sakura rubbed the tears away roughly, and took a look into the mirror. It hurt, letting go of the hope she'd resolutely held onto for the past three in a half years. But for the sake of the ones she loved, it was what she had to do. "I'm coming." She called quietly, to Shizune outside the door, her fingers undoing the latch shakily.

"I'm fine." Sakura stated, knowing she looked anything but it.

After seeing that she was in one piece Shizune seemed to calm down. "It's going to be okay." She stated, biting her own lip. "Tsunade's performing the rest of the autopsy…" All her hopes hung on the Hokage disproving Sakura's assertion.

Nothing else found its way to words between them; instead Sakura simply placed a hand on Shizune's shoulder and smiled weakly. "It will be okay." She stated. Life would go on, with or without Sasuke and everything she had dreamt. Her life wouldn't end with this second betrayal of his.

Instead, another's had. The man whose name Sakura did not know had died and she wondered if in a way that was her fault. If Sasuke had been declared a missing-nin, he would have been a priority to catch by many people more skilled then she or Naruto. It was possible that he would have been disabled before he ever had a chance to become the thing he was now. She wondered that if the promise she had wheedled out of Naruto, and he who in turn had elected a passion for Sasuke's safe retrieval had resulted in a life being snuffed away by the very hands she'd wanted to save.

Sakura had felt the guilt of that promise steadily weighing down on her soul for some time, but only today did she feel it crashing down unto her with an almost crippling force.

A lot of her time was spent thinking as she sat next to Shizune on a bench not far from morgue room number seven, it was just out of sight around the corner, but it lingered in her mind like smoke on clothes. Tonton had somehow found her way back into Shizune's arms, and the poison's specialist sat next to her, soaking up whatever small comfort the pig brought.

Neither of them tried to speak to one another each absorbed in their own thoughts of what could have been, what was, and what would be.

Time seemed to have no bearing in the cold monochromatic hallway.

'_How am I supposed to tell them?'_ She thought to herself, staring at the mysterious black spot on the floor. By now, the tears had receded for the time being. '_Naruto's going to be devastated…what if he doesn't believe it?'_ it would be just like him…he'd scream and throw a fit – demanding the do the autopsy over again just to be sure. Sakura didn't think she could handle it, but she felt like it was her place, her duty to tell them. '_And Kakashi…'_ How would he feel knowing it was the very technique he'd taught Sasuke that killed one of their own.

Sakura wished more than anything that she'd decided to stay in bed that morning – even if it was Kakashi's horrible, horrible mattress. Anything was better than the uncertainty she could feel pressing down on her.

The clicking of heels against tiled floors was what drew her out of her shell. Tsunade stood at the end of the hall, her face more waxen than usual. "Shizune," She said her voice sounding tired, as she drew the woman's attention. "Find me Kakashi." She demanded, taking a seat next to Sakura at the end of the bench, the clip board in her hand tapping against her knee.

"Y-Yes." The dark haired woman nodded, drawing to her feet. She was thankful for the distraction the task provided. She gave Sakura one last comforting glance, as she made her way around the corner and into the elevator.

Sakura swallowed heavily, as she drew her head up to glance at the woman next to her. "W-Well?" Her voice sounded far too meek for her liking. Almost as if she had reverted back to being a child - in the days long before meeting Ino.  
_  
_"I'll tell you after a second opinion." Tsunade said, leaving no room for disagreement.

Sakura simply nodded her head, torn between feeling half satisfied in putting it off, and half in regret that it couldn't be done quickly, like pulling off a Band-Aid.

The feeling of a hand against her head was what startled Sakura out of her numbness. "It's going to be okay." Tsunade said, echoing the same words Shizune had earlier. Her pain filled words were spoken from experience that many knew of, but the scars from it hid themselves behind a boisterous attitude and a pretty face. She was the only one left to shoulder that pain, and beyond anything at the moment, it was her selfish wish that Sakura would not be the only left to feel that pain as well.

At one time she and Jiraiya had shared the pain of their strange but fitting team being torn apart, they had been forced to accept their teammate had become the enemy of their village, and though it had been painful, they had done so. Despite all her workings for the opposite, it now seemed Naruto and Sakura were headed for the same road. Only this time she could only prey the outcome for the teacher would be different then it had been for hers.

"I know." Sakura stated, the tears slipping down her own pale face despite her efforts. "But it won't ever be the same again." She choked out, longing for the long since passed days of simple youth. 'Will it always be this hard?' How many more times would she see someone she knew or loved walk the same path Sasuke had?

"It never is," Tsunade stated, drawing the frail girl into her arms. "It never is." She said again, this time more to herself.

Sakura buried her face in Tsunade's neck and cried, her arms clinging to her as if she were the last real thing left in the world to hold on to. Things were changing far too fast, leaving her whirling in their wake doing her best just to catch up. She wondered if there would ever be a time where there was a lull, a moment of piece just to put things together, but even if she did, even if there was, there was no guarantee that those precariously placed shards wouldn't splinter every which way once again.

* * *

Sorry I took so long! *Insert excuses here* but mostly, blame it on the Cloti –Vs- Clerith forums I've been sucked into.  
Holy crap. Did I throw you guys for a tail spin or what? O_O I wonder how many of you were expecting _this?_ I hope not many of you.

This chapter was actually written when watching The shining, and Bram Strokers Dracula...They played a part in the mood of the later part of the chapter if you can tell :D

I took some artistic liberties in regards to Chidori wounds. It's technically lightning and actual lightning victims do come away with sporadic burns all over their bodies. So uh…moving on. ( Don't shoot me.)

If I've yet to answer your reviews for last chapter, I apologize; I'll get to them soon, very soon.

You guys have no idea the trouble this chapter gave me. It took me way longer than any of the other chapters to write, I keep floundering around when writing the scene between Kakashi and Gai. The Aiko-Sakura scene was actually finished before the Kakashi-Gai one! Then, when writing the morgue scene and such, I couldn't figure out the words to use exactly…but I hope I conveyed Sakura's jumbled up, quickly changing thoughts and worries well, without it sounding hokey. (There's a word you don't see everyday…hokey.)

If you've noticed, this story does go by a bit slowly…it usually spends like two chapters on one day. If I were to cut down on a lot of the descriptive sentences and such, it would probably progress a lot faster. But I think it would be a lot droller if I did that too, so yea.

Well anyways, sorry for the delay, and I hope you enjoyed this installment of The Young and The- Wait wrong Drama.


	10. Depend on Me

Disclaimer: NOPE. If I did, Sakura would be doing some major badassery about now- or hell having some sort of focus put on her, but obviously I'm a woman and my place is in the goddamn kitchen, and Sakura's place is out of sight and out of mind.

Hmm…I don't sound bitter do I?

A/N: Sorry for the late (putting it mildly…) Post. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME.  
P.S: Extreme amounts of fluff ahead.

* * *

**_To Build a Nest_**  
By: **_Tsukiko Hoshino_**

_Even though I've come so far, reliving my numerous regrets and sadness_  
_And tripping over my weakness from yesterday_  
_I've got no time to be looking back on the past_  
_I must get over the pain of getting hurt feelings_  
_I want to see for myself what I'm worth_  
Konoe Koe Karashite (**Aisha**)

* * *

The usual lazy gait he walked with outside of battle was gone and in its place was something quicker and blatantly purposeful. He knew something was wrong just by the gaze Shizune has cast him when she finally caught sight of him wandering the market place. A sinking feeling soon over took him, and without words, he met her pace, following where she led silently.

Kakashi thought the sinking feeling in his stomach could not grow worse, but when he caught sight of Sakura's pale, wane face washed out by the fluorescent lighting of the hospital basement, he knew that things were dire indeed.

Held tightly within Tsunade's protective embrace, Sakura was quietly crying. Between them, there was an unspoken understanding, as the woman unwound her arms, and stepped to the side to join Shizune in quiet observation.

The moment he met Sakura's eyes, he knew.

'Oh Sasuke…what have you done now?' Kakashi thought, stepping forward quickly.

He remembered the look in her eyes without fondness, and that was phrasing it gently. He hated it. It was the very same as the look that had plagued her when Sasuke ran away. The look that sometimes, whenever the wayward boy would cross her mind would lance through her green eyes. It turned those lively orbs from some bright leafy green to something that reminded him of a swamp.

Dark, wet and most of all miserable.

It was a look she shared with Naruto, the look of abandonment and betrayal.

Her forehead was lined with worry, and her eyes rimmed in red from scrubbed away tears, and he could tell by the set of her jaw that more tears were soon to come. "Sakura…" He wanted so badly to make that look disappear, to wipe away all the mistakes that led to it whether they were his own or not. Without thinking, his hand was on her head, fingers sifting through her hair. "It's going to be fine." He didn't know what had happened, but he was going to make it all alright.

He didn't know what it was that was troubling her exactly, just that Sasuke, or something to do with Sasuke had caused it. It was hard to fathom how easily that boy could cause so much trouble when he wasn't even around.

His best efforts at making her feel better amounted to nothing, because rather than giving him a tearful smile as she had the last time he had promised such a thing, she cried harder. Whatever hold she'd had on her tears was gone, and he ended up with an armful of violently sobbing Sakura.

No amount of training could ever prepare a man for the tears of a woman. Him even less so, he'd never been good at being comforting despite all his efforts. Kakashi may not have had Naruto's enthusiasm or his sunny optimistic smile that made Sakura's troubles flee so easily, but when necessary he too would do his best- even if it was abysmal.

Whatever Tsunade wanted him for would have to wait, just for a little bit- it wasn't as if she was in a hurry to interrupt anyways.

"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, fingers digging tightly into the fabric of his vest. Sorry because she hadn't been strong enough three years ago, sorry because even now she allowed her strength to be swayed so easily.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Kakashi stated, lips pursing. There was no shame in tears shed. There was no reason for her to feel like she couldn't cry there was a time and place to lock away ones emotions and here and now was not one.

"Y-yes there is." Sakura insisted, rubbing her eyes. "Because even now, after everything…all the training I've done all I can do is cry." She hated it. She hated the part of herself that was so easily affected by Sasuke even now.

More than that, she hated the part that still clung onto the hope that she was wrong, that there was another possibility that left her aching; What if it hadn't been him and she was jumping to conclusions. Was she so fickle of a friend that her beliefs were so easily shaken? Naruto would surely be ashamed.

It was so very hard to organize her heart, and the thoughts that drove through her mind. 'You're a kunoichi…why don't you act like one?' she asked herself bitterly, taking a few deep breaths. 'You're acting just like a kid all over again.' She'd made a promise to become stronger, but if she were crying like this, then it was obvious she'd been slacking. It was embarrassing.

In front of both of her teachers, she was acting like the same little girl she'd been three years ago.

It seemed like Sasuke always had a way of tearing her down, even when he wasn't around.

Even so, he was one of the reasons she became strong, to bring him home, to make him whole- to make _team seven_ complete once more. To stand as an equal by his and Naruto's side had been her dream since the first chuunin exam. It was what she had fought so hard for all this time. If he couldn't come home, than in the end had everything been for nothing? It _hurt _thinking of the cool headed boy becoming a monster. It hurt imagining him cutting down people who counted him as a comrade even to this day.

Team seven had been something special to her, and even though there were many times she had felt left out, she had loved all of them no matter how obnoxious, taciturn or withdrawn some of them could be at any given time. Even Yamato and Sai had found a place in her heart; just because they were late additions didn't mean she cared for them any less than the originals.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura squared her shoulders. 'Sasuke…I don't know if it was you for sure or not…but if it was, I won't ever forgive you.' Whatever came from this, she would never allow him to hurt someone important to her. The thought of him pressing his weapon to Naruto's skin never left her mind. If it came to it, she would fight to protect everyone. "I'm fine." Sakura murmured,

With a shaky breath, she pulled away, giving Kakashi the best smile she could conjure. "Sorry." She repeated. "A ninja shouldn't be ruled by emotions." Sakura murmured, more for herself than for him.

A small noise of discontent escaped Kakashi's mouth as he gripped her tighter, resting his head on hers. "Sakura…" as much as he hated it when she cried, he could say that the idea of her locking everything away was even worse.

Sakura was not a person meant to do that, her emotions were her strength. She was the type of person meant to express herself, whether it be in anger, sadness or in love, she wore everything out in the open. Most would say that this was a weakness in their line of work, but for her- and for Naruto it was in actuality strength of theirs.

"Sakura…you don't have to deal with it all alone. I'm here for you…we all are." There was a time in his life where he had been content to exist on his own, to deal with his troubles on his own. First it was Obito who drove him from the path he'd been going down, and then with the coming of seven it had finally been driven home. Being teammates wasn't just about depending on one another in battle, but in life as well.

'Even old dogs can learn new tricks.' Kakashi mused, hunching on his knees, bringing himself eye to eye with Sakura. "No matter what happens…me, you and Naruto, we'll do our best together…Yamato and Sai too." Even if things with Sasuke didn't work out, Team seven would go on.

The way Tsunade's eyes were biting into his back was making him a little self-conscious.

Hatake Kakashi, the seemingly emotionally aloof and slothly suddenly seemed so bared. When comforting others he generally preferred to do it in simple, short words and simple gestures. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little awed by him, as she lowered her hands from her eyes. "Kakashi…" She stated, biting her bottom lip. "Thank you." She murmured, smiling this time without any effort.

Being comforted by him was nothing new, but the emotion that showed on his face- what little she could see of it was for the first time so very unguarded.

It seemed like every day she experienced something new about him.

"Hm? You're welcome." Kakashi stated, a smile pulling at his lips and crinkling his eyes as he tucked an errant strand of pastel pink hair behind the shell of her ear. 'That's better.' He thought with great satisfaction. To know that he could put that smile back in place with just a few words gave him a thrill he couldn't even begin to explain.

Secondly, he was not even going to acknowledge that he'd let his hand linger a little too long near her cheek, because it hadn't happened at all.

Life was incredibly complicated, and getting stranger everyday it seemed.

Though the slight blush Sakura was sporting was a good look for her.

"We'll talk more in a little while." He stated, rising and turning to Tsunade. "You rang?"

Amber bright eyes studied him as a well-manicured fingers tapped her clothed elbow thoughtfully. "Yes…" The Hokage said, fighting back whatever amusement threatened to overtake her. Now was really not the time to sink deeper into her matchmaking schemes. Right now she had to focus on business- as abysmal as it was. "Follow me." Tsunade demanded, turning to the morgue. "Shizune, Sakura, stay here, we'll be back soon."

"Y-yes." The two apprentices chorused, bowing their heads.

"I'm going to venture a guess and assume this has something to do with Sasuke." Kakashi murmured, as they entered the sterile examination room.

"Right as usual." Tsunade huffed, slamming the steel door shut behind them. "The body seems to have a Chidori wound." She explained, peeling back the sheet that she'd thrown over the body. "You would know best of all if that's a correct assumption or not."

In addition to the ragged, gaping hole in the cadaver's chest, it was covered in black blistered and peeling skins sporadically placed around the wound. "It's a familiar sight, but it could be caused by any number of lightening techniques." Kakashi admitted, freeing a Kunai from his pouch. "The chakra of the perpetrator has probably already dispersed…but if it was in fact Sasuke, Pakkun should be able to tell by smell."

If Sasuke had caused the wound, he would have had to have gotten up close and personal and with any luck the smell would still be lingering around.

That or the smell of the one who actually did it could be clinging on, and everything could be put to rest either way.

There was a good chance thought, that Pakkun wouldn't be able to smell anything over the stench of decay.

While his fingers went through the summoning ritual, Kakashi let himself think about the connotations of what was occurring.

If it had in fact been Sasuke, the use of the Chidori on a leaf Shinobi was most likely a blatant message to his former home land. One that could not and would not be ignored, nor would be intended to be ignored. It would mean that Sasuke wanted them to know he'd done it. He knew the boy was too smart to fall into amateurish mistakes such as using a signature move on something that was meant to be covert.

'Not only that…but all the other bodies were destroyed, except this one.' Kakashi thought back on what he knew about the incident. "It's a strong possibility that it could be Chidori." He admitted, hating the way the words flowed from him. "I could be wrong…we could be wrong though, all of this could be a rather clever rouse to set Sasuke up."

But by who, would be the question.

The boy's older brother could be a viable candidate, considering all the other things the man had done. He had the eyes necessary to copy the technique and most likely a shared the same elemental affinities as well.

On the other hand, Uchiha Itachi was not known to copy other's techniques. He didn't need to with the mangekyo. It simply didn't fit his profile to use the chidori of all things to deal death. Everything was pointing to Sasuke, but the one question that haunted him was why? 'What purpose did it serve? What good did it do…what could possibly be going through that boys head?'

The dispersing of white smoke drew his attention back to the situation at hand.

"Pakkun." Kakashi greeted, tipping his head. "You remember how Sasuke smells, right?"

"Couldn't forget it." The pug answered, bleary eyes peering around the room as his black nose gave a little twitch. "Smells awful." He stated, before continuing. "The body I mean." Although Sasuke hadn't smelled much better the last time he met him. All ornery and depressed- it was not a nice smell, but then again it was better than what was currently permeating the air.

A wry smile tugged Kakashi's lips. "Do you smell him right now?"

The small dog shook his head. "Sorry, but whatever other smells were on that guy are impossible to decipher now. He's too far gone even for this nose."

"It's alright." Kakashi sighed, waving his hand. "It looks like everything is inconclusive Tsunade-sama."

His sigh was joined by a much wearier one as the blonde dropped herself into a swivel chair. "It doesn't matter either way." She stated. "The council- Danzo In particular has probably somehow gotten word of this and if he hasn't the bastard _will_hear about it, and when he does he's going to push to get the boy offed as soon as possible." He'd already tried once when she'd been in a coma, not to mention all the pressure she'd received on the issue before that too.

The fact that Danzo seemed to have ears everywhere bothered her greatly. He was always there pulling strings in the shadows like some puppet master and it aggravated her to no end.

It wasn't as if she didn't know she was showing favoritism, but no matter what she wanted thing to turn out differently for tea seven than it had for her own. Without any hard core proof to show that the act had in fact been committed by Sasuke, for now she would do her best to leave things as they were.

"Well then, what will you do?" Kakashi wondered, fingers itching to pull out his book. He'd made no move to dismiss Pakkun just yet. He figured it would be nice for Sakura and the dog to see one another again after so long. 'Might just cheer her up some more.' He thought, giving in to the desire to crack the newest volume of Icha Icha open.

"I had wanted to keep Naruto in the village for a while longer, but…it may be necessary to send him out once more." Tsunade said, arms crossing over her ample bosom. "Although I will most likely meet opposition on that by the council as well…." The gears in her head were turning quickly. "Actually, perhaps not." She stated gleefully smiling as she got to her feet.

Kakashi shook his head lazily. 'Oh boy…' that smile always made him nervous, even as he politely held the door open for her to exit.

"Well?" Sakura asked the second they came into sight not wasting even a moment. The wait had nearly been too much for her.

"No need to rush now." Tsunade stated in sarcasm, hands on her hips. "It was inconclusive." She stated, relieved to see the tension that had been plaguing her youngest student since she walked into the morgue not all that long ago. "Either way, you should prepare for the worst...When this hits the council we might have some trouble, and it's not innocent until proven guilty, it's guilty until proven innocent with them." She hated to say it, but it was necessary.

It was a pity, that the past seemed to be repeating itself, but with any luck things would play to a different tune this time. 'Still I'm not going to be betting any money on it.' Tsunade thought as a realist at heart.

"I understand." Sakura said quietly, glancing up through her lashes. "What about Naruto….should I tell him?" It would be a daunting task, but he deserved to know about the possibility before it became a reality. The moment he caught wind of everything, all hell was going to break lose, and the longer it was kept from him the worse it was going to be.

It was better to do it like a band aide, fast and swift so the discomfort was over quickly.

"No." Tsunade stated, point blank- knowing her apprentice would disagree immediately, she continued quickly. "I know he deserves to be forewarned, but if he hears about any of this he'll go flying off the handle and with things the way they are right now that's the last thing anyone needs. So for right now, let's just let him relax. He's worked hard."

Not only that but she didn't need him riling up the old biddies any further than he did, and she certainly didnt need him causing a fuss around the village. If he did that now they'd probably be rallying to support him after his heroic deeds and as much as she disliked them, the council did occasionally prove useful.

"Right…" Sakura didn't mask the fact that she was uncomfortable with the fact she was being asked to keep information from Naruto, even if she understood the reasoning behind it

"Take the day off." Tsunade stated, waving a hand at Sakura. "You look terrible."

"If you keep giving me days off, I'm going to become a very lazy ninja." Sakura huffed, crossing her arms.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!" Tsunade griped, bopping the girl upside the head, lacking the normal ferocity she would use on the more obnoxious member of team seven."Some people would kill to have a teacher as nice as me." She huffed. 'ungrateful…' In a few weeks, when things finally settled down, her little apprentice was going to be begging for a break when Tsunade picked up on training again. "Do as I say, and come see me tomorrow, evening time." And with that, she swept out of the room.

Shizune smiled, and shot Sakura a look of exasperation. "You're going to be sorry for that comment later." She chastised gently, setting Tonton on the ground. "She'll work you into the ground next time she gets a chance."

With a smirk, Sakura tilted her chin up just a fraction. "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger." She reminded, showing just why she was so often compared to the slug sannin.

"Isn't that the truth." Shizune stated, eyes quietly admiring the pink haired girl. Sometimes it amazed her, how quickly Sakura had taken to Tsunade's teachings, but then the two were more alike than she ever was to her teacher. "Well, I'd better go after her and make sure she doesn't slack off to much." Shizune said, smiling. "You'll be okay right?" she wondered quietly leaning ever close conspiratorially.

"Mm." Sakura murmured in quiet agreement as she turned her eyes toward Kakashi. "I'll be alright, don't worry." She bid the older woman farewell with a small smile. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved about the results or strung up over them because there was no definitive answer, but for now she was just a little bit grateful that there was more time to sort out the whole mess in her head.

It was then that she noticed the additional member that had joined their ranks. "Pakkun!" she greeted, a full blown grin fixing itself in place. It was pretty rare she got to see Kakashi's dogs outside of emergency situations. More often when they'd been genin and resigned to running chores for their teacher.

"Lady." The little pug stated in turn, sniffing slightly. "Been crying?" He asked reproachfully, leaping into the seat next to her. "Wanna rub my paws? That always makes Kakashi feel better when he's had a bad day." It always made _him_feel better too. There was nothing like a good rub down, although the others would probably get a little bit jealous at the attention he was getting.

"Just a little." Sakura stated, face flushing as she cursed the pug's innate sense of smell. "And does he really?" she asked, a short giggle punctuating the end of her question. It was a little hard imagining Kakashi laying around rubbing his dog's paws like a lucky rabbits foot, but It was very nice of pakkun to offer his paws to her. They were something he prided himself on, and he didn't let just _anyone_go around touching them.

"All the time." Pakkun harrumphed, laying his head against her thigh. "He even buys a special moisturizer to help keep them nice and supple." Which he greatly appreciated, Kakashi really was a good boy who did his best to take care of everyone-whether buying him paw crème, or shampoo, or special treats he always went out of his way to do something nice for them.

Kakashi hummed, taking a seat on the other side of Sakura. "There's nothing wrong with a little pampering." He remarked from behind his book. His sleepy eye looked on in fondness as Sakura stroked the pug on the head idly, fingers working down to his paws slowly.

They were really soft, and plush. Just like a newborns, it was no wonder he was so proud of them.

Pakkun huffed, rolling onto his back for better access. Out of the three brats Kakashi taught, she'd always been the best at petting and coddling. Naruto was to rough and Sasuke impatient and aloof-he wouldn't count. Sakura had just the right amount of pressure and spent just enough time in each spot so that it felt good, but not chafing from the repetitive strokes.

Even though he was a ninja, he was also a dog who enjoyed being showed affection every now and then, and so far it was shaping up to be a good day for him.

"You stopped using the shampoo." Pakkun pointed out, popping an eye open to look at the girl showering him with attention.

Looking a little confused, Sakura tipped her head towards the fluorescent lights above her head. "Shampoo…oh!" She nodded. "A few years ago." She admitted.

"This one, I like it...what's it called?" Pakkun asked, rolling to his feet. Pressing his front paws to her chest, his cold nose was nearly pushed to her cheek. If she was going to be part of the pack, she should smell like it. Even Kakashi used the same soaps as he did on them on himself.

Even though the scents were similar due to the shared hygiene product they each still maintained a a distinct smell that identified them as part of the group.

"It's not too strong is it?" Sakura wondered, nose scrunching. She knew shinobi were supposed to use something that mimicked the scents of their surrounding turf, or even something scentless preferably. Too strong a smell could easily expose your location. The shampoo she was using now had a juniper smell to it.

"No, it's good." The ninken stated, pressing his nose against the spot just behind her ear. He was pretty amused at the startled cry she let lose. "Smells a little minty, but with some juniper maybe..." He explained, committing the scent to memory. He hadn't had much time to compare the smell she carried now to the one a few years ago, and he wanted to make sure he had it down just in case she got lost.

"Cold, your nose is cold." Sakura hissed as it began to snuffle around. Not only was it cold and wet but it tickled too.

Kakashi chuckled quietly next to her, almost so quietly she missed it.

Pakkun liked the new smell, but it was a little bit of a hassle having to learn something new. "You should keep this one." He mused, before continuing. "Or go back to the old one, try not to change to another one anytime soon. It would be bad if we couldn't find you." It wasn't that they couldn't find her if she did, it just made it more time consuming when they had to search all the harder for her smell. If there were a real emergency, there could be trouble.

"I'll keep that in mind." Sakura stated, expression softening. Although a little aggressive in his pursuit, he was only worried about her wellbeing, and that made all the difference. 'Besides, although he's a ninken, he's still a dog and they don't have the same social norms humans do.' Which granted him a bit of leniency. More importantly she just couldn't bring herself to get mad at a cute dog, even if he was a bit crisp in his manner.

"So…by chance have you heard any of the rumors?" Kakashi wondered glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Oh? You mean the ones were we've got a love child in the works?" Sakura asked, glancing at her nails for some microscopic dirt caught underneath them.

"Guess that's a yes."

"I'm going to kill Genma." Sakura declared. 'And Ino…bet she had something to do with all this.' She really regretting saying she'd done it with Kakashi just to drive the girl a little crazy. It was already turning to bit her in the ass.

Kakashi huffed, waving a finger in her face lazily. "Ah .Ah. Ah. Sakura, I'm disappointed in you." He smirked from underneath his mask. "I thought by now you'd have learned there are better ways to get revenge than by killing.

Allthough she couldn't see it from beneath his mask, she got the distinct impression his smile was akin to the devils. "And what exactly do you have in mind?" Sakura wondered eyeing him gleefully.

Kakashi was a very, very smart man, and any plot he could cook up would probably out do her original plan of just beating the tar out of Genma.

"I think it's only proper to take an eye for an eye." The man in the mask stated idly, slipping his book away at last. He hadn't been paying it any attention for the last ten minutes anyways. It was more like he hated having his hand empty

"I happen to now the location of some highly embarrassing photos of a certain someone that should never reach the light of day." He stated at last, sly eyes glancing at her from over his book. "And, for a small fee I'd be perfectly willing to let slip the information I have on those very photos."

Arching a brow, Sakura pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Hmm…" she thought idly, tapping a finger to her chin. "Well. Although you are a highly suspicious individual I find this offer too good to refuse, but before I accept I should like to know the terms."

"It's really Just one small, tiny, tiny, inconsequential thing." Kakashi all but sang, leaning in closely.

"And that would be?" Sakura all but purred, her eyes gleaming up at him as she leaned slightly forward on her deceptively small hands pressing onto the small space between them.

To anyone walking by they would seem to be in quite an intimate position, only a few inches separating their faces.

"Don't you wanna try guessing first?" he wondered, studying her face quietly. Over the years it had slimmed, losing its baby fat. Rather than possessing the face of some great seductress, her's was designed to be misleadingly cute. But the way her eyes gleamed up at him almost predatorily had an unbidden shiver running down his back.

From where he was sitting he could see the green of her eyes had golden accents of her green eyes. Right now they the color of green apples. All juicy sweet and tempting. 'uh-oh…' He thought to himself, realizing where his thoughts were headed.

It only got worse when he saw nibble on her bottom lip.

This was definitely not good. He could already feel Pakkun's eyes on him. That dog could read him better than anybody. 'This is ridiculous…she's not even trying.' Kakashi thought miserably. 'Since when did I get so easily distracted?' He just could not peel his eye away from her face, especially when he saw her tongue swipe quickly along the seam of her mouth.

"I'd rather not guess." Sakura admitted, looking at him through hooded eyes. "So, hurry and tell me the demands." She declared, studying his face while she had the opportunity. There was something darker than normal about his eye as he looked down on her. His thick eye lashes casting them further into shadow. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was looking at my lips.' She mused, blinking once. "Well?" He was being awfully quiet.

"Terms, right." Kakashi stated swallowing imperceptibly. "A date."

"A date?" Sakura repeated, looking up at him in surprised. She'd thought it'd be something else. After all, dating was a part of their arrangement.

"A date." Pakkun repeated for the third time, his voice clearly marked with disappointed. "You could have asked for something better than that." He complained, hanging his head.

"No need." Kakashi stated, fingers reaching for his book again, as if to use it as a shield.

Sakura feeling a bit confused, shrugged. "Alright a date. So where's the photos?" she asked, only to be tapped by his book on the forehead.

"Not so hasty." Kakashi stated cheekily. "Date first, then the goods."

"I should be off then." Pakkun remarked, nuzzling Sakura's hand, before he made his way to say farewell to Kakashi, only to be grabbed up by the older man by his vest.

"No need, you'll be coming too. Bonding time and all." Kakashi declared. 'A chaperone might be necessary.' Although he got the feeling that his little friend would be the opposite of helpful in that regard. Still if he knew the pug was there, he was less likely to get all distracted again.

Maybe he should call the whole squad up for that matter. With all of them around Sakura, he'd have less of an issue-it'd be impossible for him to get near. They loved to hog all the attention when they could.

Pakkun seemed to get where he was coming from, because he gave the jonin a particularly bemused look, that one might consider a smirk. That was, If dogs had the facial muscles to smirk. In this case it looked a bit more like a snarl than anything else, but to someone who was used to it, Kakashi got the message loud and clear.

The little pug was amused. "Well if you insist….you don't mind me picking the venue, right?" The gruff voiced canine asked, slyly glancing to the side.

"Of course not, I think that's only fair, right Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"Sure…" Sakura stated, eyes a little wide. There was a bit of a strange vibe going down at the moment, and she couldn't help but feel a little bewildered.

"So what'll it be Pakkun?" Kakashi asked, still dangling the small dog from one hand.

"I'm thinking beef…steak preferably. Expensive fatty steak." The canine said, licking his chops.

Brightening, Sakura interjected quickly. "There isn't much up right now, since the attack, but the yakiniku is up and running. They have barbeque." for once, a meal that didnt involve noodles or disgusting rations. She could feel her mouth watering at the very thought.

"Sounds good to me…maybe we should take the others." Pakkun mused, tucking a paw under his chin. It wouldn't be very nice if he was the only one who got treated, now would it?

Already, Kakashi could feel his frugal inner self weeping his dogs ate like starving animals. More importantly, the absolute chaos they were going to cause.

'On the other hand, this could be used to our benefit.' He reminded himself, preparing the summon. With all that chaos he'd have less time to be…distracted by Sakura. It was good to look at the silver lining of the situation after all.

'Pakkun, you little devil.' Kakashi thought, shoulders slumping further. The little dog had him in a tight spot, either he'd starting hinting things at Sakura about his little fixation earlier, or he'd tell the rest of the ninken and things would get downright dirty. 'I guess dogs are similar to their owners.' The jonin thought dryly. This was exactly the sort of thing he would do if given half the chance.

With a big burst of smoke, and the sound of popping air Kakashi could already feel a headache coming on.

* * *

Fun with Ninken...hehe, sounds exciting.

To every one who has reviewed, Favorited alerted, watched, read and what have you, i'd like to say thank you. And to of course apologize for taking so long to get this out, and not responding to reviews like i should have.

After this chapter, i'll get back to responding to reviews like i used to. It's just been a really, really hectic year and before that my beta like disappeared in the middle of helping me re-edit everything, and then my laptop went up, and then my desktop went up and it was just like, WTF. why even bother writing when after rewriting this chapter like twice i keep losing it?

It was just really frustrating, but here it is and i hope its not disappointing.

The edited chapters will be uploaded soon, not any plot changing corrections will occur so don't worry about it. Also this is of course unbeta'd at the moment, so yea...sorry for the mistakes, but if you'd like to apply for the posistion, lemme know *wink* but if you do, be prepared to do some major asskicking on me.

I can be as lazy as Shikamaru.

So, just a little side note, Whoa. I feel like Kishi rick rolled-or rather Obito'd me.

When Tobi was first introduced, i totally thought it was Obito, and then we were told it was Madara, and i thought "Oh well that sounds pretty interesting, and badass. I can buy it." And then...BAM. turns out my first guess was correct.


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